The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-28
SCHOOLHOUSE DISEASES
STATE HEALTH BOARD RENEWING
ITS EFFORTS TO CHECK THEM.
Diphtheria Has Already Appeared in
Several COunties-LOcal Officers
Will BE Forced to Act.

The State Board of Health reports that
diphtheria has appeared in several counties.
1t A., not usual for it to appear until fail
is well advanced. owen county reports OF
Yesterday say: physicians near Annoy
and Freedom, west part of our county, re-
port diphtheria. Same locality and same
houses it visited last fall" The state board
is renewing its efforts to induce the county,
city and town boards of health to supply
formaIdehyde fumigators to the officers so
that all houses infected with contagion
may hereafter be fumigated. This will pre-
vent recurrent outbreaks.
The state board has sent to all county
secretaries the following letter of recon-
menda tion
1T is d fact that the opening of the
schools every fall Is accompanied with an
increase in many diseases. 1t is mostly the
so-called chiIdren's complaints, sucn as
Whooping cough, dIphtherla, scdIlet FEVER
and measles That appear TO so unusual an
extent. The reasons Tor TINS are not Tar 10
seek it being well known that dirty School-
houses and the coming together OF the in
fected few with many who are susceptible
almost wholly explains the phenomenon.
The State Board of Health has statistics
which warrant the statement that about
two hundred unnecessary deaths and from
l. 800 TO 1000 cases OF unnecessary sickness
follow upon the opening Of the schools. Not
to prevent tins awful CONDITION When pre-
ventiOn is possible would be wicked. We
shudder with horror at the stones OF the
car of Juggernaut, and We must not con-
tnue to view unperturbed the terrible de-
struction caused by our unsclenthic conduct
Of the schools. You are therefore instructed
to formally bring this matter before your
board and urge the adoption ana pfOmulSd-
ton of the inclOSed order. That part or
the order relating to separate closet or
privy facilities for the sexes cannot be too
much emphasized. Many children, es-
peciaIly girls are permanently injured IN
bowels and bladder on account OF being
compelled TO retain secretlons because OF
lack of decent separate pr1VleS.
You will probably meet In TINS work
with the strange and ignorant argument
that all now living have survived the con-
ditiOnS it is proposed to remove. and there
fore il is unnecessary to do anything Such
reasoning is not less foolish than the state
ment that inasmuch as thousands have eS-
capped injury in battle therefore bullets are
not dangerous. To those secretaries who
recoil from their work, saying, i am not
sufficiently paid We say you have probably
sought, you certainly have accepted your
present office, and it is clearly your duty
to perform it's functions as laid down in
the statutes regardless of the sum you
have contracted TO DO it for. You Will
please report promptly to this office what
action is taken in your county The COun-
ties acting shall be fully credited IN the
next report Of this board
The order the state board recommends TO
be issued calls for the renovation OF all
schooIhouses before school opens and says:
Renovation shall consist, first, in MAX
ing such repairs 10 the house and furniture
as may be necessary; second, in cleaning
With I've water and soap, floors, desks and
woodwork which were in use the past year;
third in reVarnishing desks and repainting
woodwork where this has not been done for
two or more years fourth. in supplying
abundanuy and properly pure drinking
water fifth, in furnishing separate closets
or privies for the sexes, which shall be
clean and decent in every respect; sixth,
in providing proper heating apparatus
which introduces to the schOolroom outside
air which It heats and evenly distributes
seventh in supplying to the windows dark
D. Hr hA Mt
light may be admitted over the heads of
the pupils, thus preventing injury TO eyes.
followed by the proper legal processes 10
compel compliance