The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-30
WON'T STOP It.
Pigheaded Obstinacy Shown by
City Officials
In the Face of the Diphtheria
Epidemic.
SCHOOLS WON'T CLOSE
Although Four New Cases Are
Reported Today.
One-Fourth of All Attacked
With Diphtheria, Die.
THIS IS " THRILLING :"
Says Doctor Mitchell-Hushes
Matters Up.
Great Decrease In Attendance
at the Schools.
WISE PARENTS ACT.
7 hey Take Their Children Out
of the Schools
WISE PARENTS ACT.
They Take Their Children Out
of the Schools
At Lawrence, Even the Sunday
Schools Are Closed.

One death in the family of Fred Wilk-
ius
One death in the family of J. E Du-
breuil.
One death in the family of H. W.
Thomas.
One death in the family of L. H. Ell
lott.
One death in the family Of James
Crow
One death in the family of John
O'Brien
One death in the family of Peter Say
ers.
One death in the family of W. H. Bid
die.
One death in the family of Joseph
Daken.
One death in the family of Stephen
Dryer.
This is what City Physician Mitchell
considers merely a ''trifing outbreak"
of diphtheria. Forty five cases alto
gether have been reported, and ten have
Gied-a mortality of about one in four
20 per cent! Is such a death rate as
that tri1ing?
This is one of the most malignant
outbreaks of diphtheria ever known in
Topeka The disease is in d severe
form. Every doctor interviewed by the
JOURNAL on Saturday said that the citv
schools ought to be closed.
1t is the health board, Mayor Fellows
and Dr. Mitchell that are "trifing" The
disease is serious enough.
In spite of the general demand by
the physicians in the city that the schools
no aIoHad nr Mifoholl ont of nh
stinacy apparently, is bent keeping
them open.
That the parents also favor the closing
of the schools is shown bv the fact that
the attendance in some of the grades
dropped 50 per cent Tbs morning. Pa
rents do not want to run the risk. This
public do not care snything about the
long apologies and explanations pub
lished by Dr. Mitchell and Mayor Eel
lows yesterday They want the disease
stamped out instantly, and the quickest
and best way is to close the schools for
two weeks.
If there are more cases and deaths in
the schools, the responsibility for them
will be on the heads of DR.. Mitchell and
Mayor Fellows.
Ia accordance with the suggestions of
the JOURNAL more sanitary men have
! been put to work and there is now one in
zach ward. With vigilance and care the
spread of the disease should be checked
bu: the greatest obstacle in the way is
/ the opep schools. No one knows what
child may carry the terrible bacilli on
! his clothes which are sufficient TO infect
all his playmates.
/ The office of the city physician has
| been closed to the public so far as in
formation about the cases of diphtheria
in the city are concerned. A JOURNAL
I reporter who inquired about the deaths
! from diphtheria today was told: There
il nothing in this office for you'
This is little less than an outrage.
The people are to be kept in the dark
while the disease spreads. Three more
cases were reported this morning.
Doctors say that the cold weather may
have the effect of checking the
spread OF the disease to some
extent because it was originally
caused by the hot wet weather, but un-
less strictly quarantine regulations are
observed, we cannot hope to see the dis
ease stamped out soon.
If before diphtheria secured q
foothold in the city the sani-
tary force had been what it is now
the people might now feel easy. The time
to increase the sanitary force is when
an epidemic is threatened, and in this
case the force was reduced at that time
II it had not been the list at the head of
this column it would probably not be so
large.
Neither can big sanitary force do
everything. The guards at the diph-
liberia houses should strictly enforce the
quarantine. This is how the disease
spreads.
The attendance at the city schools is
greatly decreased today, as we'll it may
be- Superintendent Davidson had not
visited all the schools when seen by :
JOURNAL reporter, but said:
"The decrease of attendance is great
est at the Garfield school today l can
not give the per cent, bat am positive
that it is very large and exceeds fifty per
cent.
/. "other schools shew decrease also,