Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-14
SCHOOL SUSPENDS.
To Prevent the Spread Of
0iphtheria.
SEVERAL GASES II TIE sIvEurH.

ere More Alarmed fhsa fhsy nave
Oeesssiea 20 be ssa That Reports sss
Greatly Exsggsrased.
School building WAS closed BY
order Of the board Of education yes
terday afternoon on account OF the
prevalence Of dyphtheria in the
neighborhood. Willie the cases are
not Of On epidemical character. par
ents had become greatly alarmed.
being aggravated by false and ex-
aggerated reports. 90 Health Commits
sioner Ssia says, and the attendance
at school had diminished to such an
extent that Ii was considered advisa.
BILE to suspend for o week at least.
until parents can be rightly in
formed a. to the form OF the disease
and until the uneasiness subsidies
somewhat.
The building will be thoroughly
fumigated with . view to elimipat.
ing any germ of the disease which
might have been left by the children.
Health Commissioners Saia Was To-
terrogated with reference to the
cases today.
There are only Eve cases In the
Seventh ward" he said. "while 1
suppose there are 10 houses which
are yet plscsrded. The form Of dis.
ease which exists in Rick Island now
is not at all epidemical and people
have no occasion to feel apprehen.
sive. OF course II is only natural
that parents should become fright
ened when they hear CT . case in the
neighborhood; but then, our sanitary
laws are very strict this ysar. and IL
10 hard matter for the disease to
spread. But we should not feel at
al alarmed ia this instance. There
is 90 much exaggersting going on
just now about the disease that II
mas caused the people Of the Seventh
ward TO become very much fright.
ened, bus think they will ali be
Gained down in q very few days. or
when they are rightly informed about
the matter"
The health commissioner said there
were about three cases Of diphtheria
outside the Seventh ward. but none
OF them we're serious or OF An cpl
demical form.
supt. Young's View.
Supt. Young said this morning
tina, the attendance at No. build
ing had been so rapidly diminishing
since the disease had appeared Ia
the district that 1t was thought the
most expedient course to all con.
cerned was to close the building for
at least q week. and thereafter to de.
termine what to do by the status of
matters. There have been no cases
elsewhere in the city 10 speak Of"
said the superintendent. END those
in the east end territory are OF a
mild form so far as know, but the
safest course is always the best. and
we know OF no better precaution than
to stop the children congregating
In the meantime the rooms in the
building will be thoroughly fumi-
gated, and no precsution neglected
to avert an epidemic. Al present.
however. there Is no occasion for
any alarm whatever"
Supt. Young's vigilance will meet
with public appreciation. The
theory that he takes that an ounce OF
preventive is worth q pound OF
cure is the wisest at all times. and
the only way TO save trouble Is to
avoid It, and to prevent infection
is to check disease where IL exists IL
possible.
A citizen speaking Of contagion in
Rock Island offered the suggestion
this morning that II closer nj
tention was paid to surface
dra mage in some localities IL would
contribute immensely To stamping
out the disease and combining e At
least. Herein is Q suggestion for the
local health authorities.