Weird science

The Japanese are the healthiest people on earth - but they do have some odd health-related ideas.

For example, the preschoolers at Arno's school gargle with water every time they return from the nearby public playground. Is it supposed to cleanse the throat of bacteria or viruses? I have a hard time believing it works.

Then there's the pinworm test. At Lucinda's school, students in grades 2-5 have several swim lessons at a pool in a nearby elementary school. But before they can swim, every student has to be tested for pinworms. Never mind that the US Centers for Disease Control website says, "It is unlikely that pinworm infections can be spread through the use of pools."

A pinworm test arrived in Lucinda's homework packet. It included a small envelope with this charming diagram. (Click on the pic for a close-up view.)


And inside, the 2-day test: 2 outside layers of clear tape, each with a bullseye, that you stick to a central layer of plastic after the procedure.


The school assures us that no Nishimachi student has ever tested positive, and we assume that Lucinda doesn't break that record.