Ootober, 1944 0 190

DENTISTRY' S PLACE IF PHYSICAL F'ITHESS YEAR

Cclcncl k m m r d (3. Rcwntroo , vice chnirmnn c f t h c Wrt icnal Cammittem cn Physicn.1 F i t n c s s , scys i n h i s in- t r cduc to ry n r t i c l z on t h e prcgrcmr* "Lnkck of physicr:f f i t n c s s prcvzi lcd rqncng t h e y m t h of t h e ccuntry bo- C ~ U S C the nnt ion f a i l ed t o recognize its impcrrtcncc and bccausc youth it- sulf fsiled t o cpLrn f i t noas . Tho prcsont s i t uq t i c r , is t h e r c s u l t cf indifference 2nd apathy. . I t is i n c. l v g o me?surc fDi lurs i n cur eduootion system qnd cur hcmes. The f c i l u r c i s n ccmbincd cnc; ycuth i s t h c victiin. Only ccncert- ed a f f c r t s o f all those crncsrncd ic tho f n i l u r o o m br ing cbcut t h e curc c r y wh2t i s s t i l l mcrc impcr- t n n t , prevcnticn f c r tho fubure. 1!

I Journnl of i he r f can Medical As- _- scc iTt icn , J u l y 22, 1944.

2

Dr. Rcwntr3e pc in ts cut t h a t t h e rch!- tbf l i ta t icn e f men a f t e r induc- tion does n c t "solve the nuch grcnt- e r prcblern of t h e lack of physicnl f i t n c s s 2nd t h e prevGlcncc cf de- f i c i c n c i e s and defocts zmcng o t h e r men cf m i l i t c r y r.gc o r r,mor_g tho c i v i 1 i an p c pu l r.t i cn . " Bc emph-.s i zo s t hc ncod f o r p r e h a b i l i t p t i c n , invol- ving oxnminztion by t h c fclmily physici.cn ?.nd d m t i s t m d c n r r c c t i s n cf 7 1 1 romcdiablo defects . CoatSnu- p t i c n :md cxtcnsion cf t h i s p r o g r m m i l l bc 3 fc?$turo of t h e cduc:Lticnf.l wcrk c- . r r isd cn during "physical fitncss yefir." I t i s hcprJd t h a t t h e nrozrqrn ncw being inaugurptcd w i l l clpor?tc nc t f c r cne F a r cn ly but f c r 9 lcng por iod of t imc, 1-rgely thrcugh t h c schcpls a t d l l c v e l s , but including a l s o indus t ry and ro- scnrch.

T1ic Kdministrntion of Vetcrnns 2 f f a i r s issucd an c rdc r cn Mwch 1, 1944, c s t - b l i s h i n g 9 scpnrctc den- t a l divfsi.cn i n t h c Vstcrnns i*dmin- i s t r a t i c n , The ncw d i v i s i c n will bc undcr t h c d i r c c t i o n cf c d e n t i s t with the t i t l e ~f' L s s i s t a n t MElloitical g i r ec t c r .

This d i r e c t c r w i l l be responsibls f c r d i r e c t i o n and superv is icn cf dentr.1 a c t i v i t i e s f o r bene f i c i a r i e s ~ f ' t h e Vcterms fidrninistrc+ticn, in- cluding dontn.1 cxaminnticns ? r i n d t r eq tmmts t e bcnc f i a i a r io s i n hcs- p i t ? l s and h c w s and -- i n occpcra-

t i o n with t h o Vcterans C l a i m s Ser- vice: -- t h e ndjudic?.tion cf cLpplicc- t i v m for cu tpn t i en t dcn tz l t r e c t - mcnt.

B c t h t he iirmy and thc! Navy have authcrizqd t h e appointment cf c i v i l - i an d c n t i s t s ns ccmnissimcd c f f i - c r r s with t h e Vetcrms A.dministra- t iw , prcvidcd they a r e umcccptablc t o t h e iimy c r t h e Navy because cf physic21 disquo.1ificnti.cn c r ago. Thc Army w i l l c.ppcint f c r t h i s duty c i v i l i a n d c n t i s t s up t o the age vf 63 ye::rs; t he maximum cgry f c r Nr-vy apwintmcnts i s 60 yews.