The times., 1899-11-30
SCHOOL NOT UNSANITARY
The Health Officers Opinion of tie
johnson Building.
lie Suggests IA General System of
Medical Inspection by the Govern
ment-The Duties of Teachers-The
Interchange of hooks Source
OF Injecting Pupils With Disease.

A number of complaints have been made
to the Commissioners and the Health on
Ger of the unsanitary condition Of the John
son school building The complainants say
that the school has no sewer connection
and there are at present nine cases OF scar
let fever among the pupils. 1t has been
stated that the roof leaked and that when
il Tained there were often large pools Of
water on the third floor The building is
damp it is said, and is altogether in an
unhealthy condition for the children.
The Health officer stated yesterday that
he did not believe the building was un-
sanitary at present He said he had paid
two visits to the place since the opening
OF the school year and had failed to find
anything the matter with it. There was
no sewer connection. it was true, he said,
but the Smead venulating system was used
and this was considered satisfactory in
every respect. It did not have the advan-
tages OF a regular sewer connection, but
the building was kept clean through its
use and there is no danger of infection
What the District should have is a
system Of medical inspection by Govern
ment physicians DR.. Woodward said yes
terday. This system is in vogue in
several cities OF the United States, and has
been used for years in Belgium, where
they have the finest public school service
in the world. The teachers of the schools
are supposed to notify the medical inspec-
tor Of the return of a child who had been
absent, and OF the condition Of a pupil,
should there be the slightest suspicion of
disease among them. If the scholar does
not seem well when school is opened the
inspector IS sent for and makes an exami-
nation to determine whether or not he or
she is well enough to attend the sessions.
In addition to this the inspector is expect
ed 10 call on the child when it returns
TO school TO see that il is well If q child
is absent one, two. or even a half a day,
the inspector is notified and makes an in
vestigati0n as to the causes which pre-
vented attendance. In this manner it is
absolutely impossible for disease to occur
among the students without immediate
measures being taken to prevent its spread
Most CT the trouble here is caused. l be-
lieve, by the handling and interchsnging of
the schColbccks. We cannot trace a
single case of scarlet fever or diphtheria
to this source but fully believe that this
is the cause of most of It. There should
be some measures taken to prevent a
child using one book one day and another
the next II is impossible to tell what
child may have had the book the day be
fore or the disease that may be cOmmuni-
Gated from one to another in this way.
The Health Office inspector Who has
charge of all these matters stated to me
only few days ago in a report that he
thought the books caused a great deal Of
the trouble and he believed that should
the system now in vogue be done away
with and child permitted to retain one
book throughout the year, much good
would be accomplished. have attempted
several times, TO have the system Of medi-
cal inspection adopted, but it seems i'm
possible to persuade Congress that there is
a necessity for it. I am going to make
another attempt this year and hope I
viii succeed. 1t is a question TO which l
have devoted considerable attention, and
would like to see the plan adopted"