The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-27
DOES NOT FEAR ITS sPREAD.
DR.. Drummer Says There Are But Ten
Cases OF Scarlet Fever in the City.

Dr. Drummer Says There Are But Ten
Cases OF Scarlet Fever in the City.
There is considerable apprehension on
account Of the development Of scarlet
fever among the children who have been
attending the kindergarten school of
Misses Harris and 3TcAlpin at No. ZIG
Jones street
The school closed for the holidays last
Friday, since which time several cases
Of fever have developed among the chill
dren who were In attendance. The total
number Of cases among the pupils so far
is seven. There has been one death-that
Of little Lizzie Wilson. a niece Of Mr.. G.
+. Graham, an account of which appeared
in yesterdays Morning News. The
Misses Harris and McAlpin had
a fourishing- school, and the
parents Of the other children
who We're in attendance are in state
OF anxiety for fear their children will
be attacked with the disease.
Health Officer Drummer was seen yes
terday with regard TO the scarlet fever.
He said that the reports as to its preva-
lence in the city have been greatly eX-
aggerated. There are only ten known
cases of the disease now in the city, he
said, all OF which are under surveillance.
There have been thirteen cases in all
this month, with two deaths. DR.. Brun-
ner said he had examined the rooms used
by Misses Harris and McAlpin for their
school and found the sanitary condi-
tions perfect. There was no reason, he
said, TO attribute the disease to the con-
ditiOn OF the building. 1t was undOubt-
eddy brought to the school by some one
Of the pupils, who had become infected
elsewhere. The rooms will be disinfected
and the school viii not be re-opened until
permission is given by the health Off
Ger.
DR.. Drummer was asked If the sani-
tary condition of the city is favorable to
the spread of scarlet fever and whether
there is any probability that it may be-
come prevalent.
THE spread Of scarlet fever" he re-
piled, lis not dependent upon sanitary
condition. The best authorities have
decided that the disease can be commun-
icated by actual contact only, either with
the diseased patient or with clothing,
paper or other articles which have be-
come infected. Milk is a fruitful source
of the spread of contagion. Nearly every
case of scarlet fever that has occurred
in the city recently has been among peo-
pie of means where the sanitary con-
ditions are or should be of the best.
House quarantine has been established
in every case reported TO this Office.
Whether there are cases which have not
been reported to me l cannot say. Rigid
house quarantine is thing that Is very
difficult to maintain We cannot place a
police officer in every house to see that
the instructions are carried out. House
quarantine does not require that every
member of the family in which the case
occurs shall be prohibited from leaving
the house as some people seem to think.
Our requirements are that the patient
shall be isolated from the other inmates
of the house, and that those members of
the family whose business makes 1t
necessary for them to be on the streets
or at their places of business shall have
no communication with the patient. In
telligent people will readily comprehend
the necessity of complying with these
requirements. The influence of the ply
stefan will also be in favor of enforcing
these requirements, as he will naturally
desire to prevent the spread of the dis
ease, in the family, especially"
At the conclusion of the case the room
occupied by the patient is dislnfected and
the bedding and clothing destroyed by the
sanitary inspectors. There is always great
complaint on account of this loss, but san
itary authorities are agreed that it is ne
cessary to prevent the spread of the dis
ease. After repeated urging on the part of
the health officer the city council decided
nearly a month ago to purchase a porta-
BILE steam disinfecting plant which could
be moved from house to house and would
make the disinfection of articles of cloth
ing much easier than at present and
would probably save considerable loss in
the destruction of clothing and bedding.
The health officer was instructed to go
ahead and secure plans for such a plant.
This was done but since then nothing
further has been heard from the matter.
DIR. Drummer said that he has no reason
to believe that the disease will become
generally prevalent. His reports show that
there has been considerable scarlet fever
in nearly every city in the country, and
there is every year. for that matter. Scar
let fever has been reported in the Morning
News dispatches recently as epidemic in
several western cities.