The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-05


Them at Night--superintendent of
Schools Howell Is Displeased Over
the Fact That the Board Of Health
Did Not Meet Wednesday Night.
Number of New Cases Reported
Yesterday-Some of the Regula-
tions OF the Board.
Schools NO ?S and &c were not closed
yesterday, as 1t had been expected
they would be, the school controllers
in the wards in which they are located
having changed their minds at the
last moment. This was due to the
fact that it was finally decided to fum-
mgate and disinfcct the buildings ut
night instead of during school hours.
Superintendent of Schools Howell
was very much wrought up yesterday
over the fact that the board Of health
had not considered the situation now
confronting the city as being sufficient
ly serious to warrant their attendance
at even regular monthly meeting. He
stated that he was getting tired of
week ago last Saturday evening a
special meeting had been called at his
request and he had waited in the city
hall till 9 o'clock without a single menu
Der showing up.
lie exhibited the following blank.
which must be filed out by the at
tending physician before a child who
has suffered from contagious disease.
! or in whose family such Il disease has
existed. can return to school:
PHYSICIANS CERTIFICATE
Scranton. .................l
! To the Principal of No......Schooi:
| hereby certify that all liability on
the part of the pupils of your school to
contract .......................~ by contact
with ....................st has passed away;
! and that ..........may safely be permitted
to resume .........place in school.
Observation-Disclosures.
Attending Physician.
| 'Small pox. varoloid, scarlet fever, etc.
as the case may be.
| *"Namc of pupil.
"What desire the board Of health
| to do" said Mr.. Howell. "is to add
clause on the end of that blank stat
| ing that ten or fourteen days have
! elapsed since the convalescence of the
child. or since the funeral of any men,
Der Of the family who died from g
| contagious disease. If that clause
were added by the authority of the
board I would direct the teachers in
every school throughout the city to
see that no pupil be allowed to return
! to school without the amended certifi-
cate regularly signed
This would. I believe, check to n
, large extent the dangers of contagion.
! Under the present arrangement a cer-
| tifcate is sometimes given a child who
| has only recovered one or two days.
This is because there is a variety Of
opinion among mcdical men as to what
| time after a patients recovery the
| danger of contagion ceases. Some say
two days and some say thirty. BY
| adding this clause all physicians would
be held to obey Il fixed regulation and
not their own opinion on the matter
, Fumigating and disinfecting a school
building is a safe precaution. but the
real root of the difficulty is not reached
by that means"
TIL, NEW CASES.
There were seventeen new cases OF
diphtheria and scarlet fever reported
to the secretary of the board of health
yesterday
Health Officer Allen is of the opinion
that many cases reported as diph-
iberia and scarlet fever are not such,
for the number of deaths reported from
these diseases is much smaller tha 4
the proportion that even the most con-
servative medical authorities Set down.
Either Scranton physicians are en-
joying run of luck in the treatment
of these diseases that upsets all the
calculations of medical authorities or
else mary sases are Imperfectly
diagnosed.
The following regulations of the
board of health will be read with in
terest at this time:
No person shall let or hire any house,
or room in IL house in which "A commune
| icablc disease, dangerous to the public
health, has recently existed, until the
room or house and premises Herewith
connected have been dsinfected to the
satisfaction of the board of health; and
for the purposes of this section, the
keeper Of Il hotel, inn or other house for
the reception of lodgers, shall be deemed
to let or hire part of the house to any
person admitted as guest into such
I hotel. inn or house.
Members of any household i'm which
smallpox, diphtheria scarlet fever or
measles exists, shall abstain from attend
. ing places Of public amusement. worship
or education, and, as far as possible from
visiting other private houses, also keep
ing others from visiting houses, except
in case of necessity.
DlSINFECT CLOTHING.
The clothing, bed clothing and bedding
OF persons who have been sick with amy
. communicable disease dangerous to the
public health, and the rooms which they
. have occupied during such sickness, to
gether with their furniture, shall be dis
infected under the direction of the board
of health.
No animal affected with a communica-
: BILE disease, dangerous to the public
health, shall be bought or kept within
, / the limits Of the city, except by permis
, siCn OF the board of health: and the
bodies of animals dead of such disease
or killed on account thereof, shall not be
| buripI within five huplr,I feet of opN