Evening star., 1896-11-12
PEABODY is CLOSED
The School Building to Be Thoroughly
Fumigated.
FOR DIPHfHERIA GERMS
The Number of Cases That Have
Been Reported so Far.
THE CORONER'S OPINION

The Peabody School was closed today on
account of the prevalence of diphtheria
| among the children, and the building will
| not be opened again until Monday morn
| ing. Thus far eight cases of the disease
among the children in this building have
occurred, and three have terminated fatal
| ~. Yesterday there was one new case in
| the building. When Dr. Woodward learn
ed Of this case he concluded that the build
Ing should be thoroughly fumigated in or
der to prevent further spread of the
| disease, and late in the afternoon he gave
out the following statement:
I'm view of the discovery this afternoon
of a new case of diphtheria among the
pupils attending the Peabody School build
| Ing 1t has been deemed advisable to dis
| infect the entire building. 1t may be reit-
Grated that the presence of the disease
| among those attending this building can
| not be attributed to any insanitary con-
dition existing in the building itself. If
the cases of diphtheria which have oc-
| Cured among the pupils have been con-
| tracted at school 1t has been because OF
the existence there of infective matter
| carried from some prior case of the dis
! ease. From the nature of such matter
| II Is impossible to determine by inspec-
| uon whether 1t Is present OF not, and II
present, its location. The previous disin-
tection included the rooms pointed out
| by the principal as those in which cases
had then occurred, and the play rooms and
other places. In view, however, of the
| more recent occurrence of cases in an
| be disinfected
| or course, even the most careful disn-
| lection by this department must neces-
sarily be Incomplete. because of the i'm
| possibility of disinfecting the bodies and
| clothing of the pupils and teachers. which
may quite possibly be carriers of the con-
tasion. 1t is desirable, therefore. that
| teachers and pupils attend to such disin-
| lection for themselves. Copies of instruc-
tions as to the proper means Of doing this
| Will be sent to the school buildings in the
morning; as soon as they can be prepared,
| where they can be had upon application
| after 10 o'clock.
| Il have requested the school authorities
to close the building until Monday next"
] speaking to Star reporter this morning
| Health Officer Woodward said there are
no conditions here to cause alarm. One
new case. near North Capitol and K
streets, was reported this morning.
/ Private Disinfection.
Circular giving directions for the disin-
fection Of clothing by formaldehyde were
sent out by the health officials this morn
| ing. The directions are given follows:
The garments should be suspended in a
closet and the formaldehyde In shallow
| vessels, such as soup plates or saucers
| placed under. them, and the door kept
tightly closed for three or four days For
an ordinary closet five or six ounces of
1ormol, formaline or formaldehyde is
necessary
In investigating cases of diphtheria dur
| ing the past few weeks the health officials
have observed evidence Of carelessness on
| part of parents and others in whose
houses patients are under treatment. en-
der the laws governing the treatment of
the cases only those who are actually en-
Saged nursing the patients are supposed
| soil
to dfsinfect their clothing each time they
leave the room and go where they are
likely to come in contact with others.
Again some of the cases were diagnosed as
membranous Group, and members of the
family permitted to go in and out of .the
sick rooms at will. Under the law all
cases OF membranous Group are classed
as diphtheria, and because of the careless
ness mentioned the health officials think
the disease was allowed to spread as much
as it has.
Law Needed.
AS a matter Of fact the law governing
the disease Is not what the health officials
desire, and they think with an effective
law, such as governs the smallpox, they
would be able 10 repeat the good work
done during the last smallpox epidemic.
While the number of cases is not large
there has been enough to keep the two
medical sanitary officers busy in making
the necessary investigation. putting plac-
ards on houses and then removing them
| from quarantine The work of dislnfec ting
the Peabody School will require some
time. Most of todays time was spent
in the school building closing the windows
| and doors in order to prevent the escape
4 of the gases, and by Monday the building
it is thought, will be as pure from the
germs of diphtheria as it was the day it
was finished.
| DIR. WOodward's Letter.
Concerning the Peabody School Dr. Wood
| ward in his letter to the Commissioners
yesterday said:
This department is keeping the Peabody
School building under especial observation,
and will promptly take whatever measures,
If any, may be necessary to restrict the
spread of diphtheria among the pupils
attending there The disease is. however
not SO prevalent nor the danger great
as the public has been caused to believe
by reason, II rumor is to be believed, by
the indiscreet statements and actions OF
some of the tea achers at this building
Teachers in the building deny that there
| was any foundation for rumors referred
to by the health officer. They did ali they
could to prevent any unnecessary scare.
but at the same time they did what they
disease. When notices from the health
office were received and the names were
given of persons exposed to the disease the
teachers did advise other pupils not to
associate with such children. This they
considered was their duty.
The latest report of Surgeon General
Walter Wyman of the marine hospital
service shows that many cities in the
United States are being visited by this dis
ease. In Brooklyn, N. Y, there has been
as many as thirty deaths in week, while
in Chicago there was as many as twenty
nine Reports from other cities show
that the diphtheria mortality ran from
one to twenty in a week, while, OF course,
msny cities were entirely free from the
disease. The weekly record of deaths here
during the past six weeks has varied from
one to eight, the highest number being
during the week ended October II Last
week there were three deaths.