The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-06

Epidemic-Check Put on an Abuse
Resulting from an Alleged Negli-
gence Of Physicians.
\ general closing down of the schools
in the districts affected by the cpl
demic Of contagious diseases Is to be
resorted to. The board of health in
special session last night expressed it
self as believing this expedient and
gave Health officer Allen unlimited
authority to carry the idea into effect.
If in his judgment a school should be
closed he Is not to wait for the advice
or suggestion of the board, but pro-
ceed at once to close It,
Every member of the board was
present at the meeting, and Superin-
tendent of Schools Howell and Presi-
tended by invitation.
Dr. Allen expressed the opinion that
the spread of the diseases was not
traceable to the schools as much rs to
the negligence of parents. as contend
ed in his interview in yesterdays Tri-
bune. Where one case could be traced
to school ten could be accounted for
by infected children being allowed to
associate at play in the streets or
about their homes with the other chill
dren of the neighborhood. He himself
had seen children who were suspended
from school by reason OF the prevalence
of contagious disease in their house.
holds playing with large groups Of
other children.
MATTER OF EDUCATION.
This latter evil could only be rems-
died by the slow process of education.
Within the schools. however. il Is diff
ferent. This could he reached direct,
and the only question was as TO
whether or not the epidemic was now
of such a character as would warrant
the closing of all the schools for 4
time.
Mr.. Jayne did not favor general
closing down of the schools. In Green
Ridge. he said. there were two scho Dis
from which only three cases of diph-
liberia had been reported since the epi-
demic started. 1t was not necessary
to close such schools as these, he
thought. any more than il was to clos,
the schools UP in Olyrhant because Of
an Epidemic in South Scranton.
Superintendent Howell proved him
self to be thoroughly alive to the sit
uation and advanced number of good
suggestions in n brief address In re-
sponse to a request from Chairman
Horn for his views.
lie started out by stating that the
diseases are not epidemic in all por-
tionS of the city. The South Side,
Green Ridge and the Central City are
more or less free from the contagion.
The districts most seriously affected
are those served by No. 35 school, cor
ner of Olive and Taylor. where there
are 100 cases; No. 33, corner of Pine
and Madison, with fifty-two cases; No.
16, Chestnut street. with forty-eight
cases; No. IL. Hyde Park avenue, with
thirty-two cases; No. 81. Park Place,
with fifty-fve cases. No. s. on the
South Side. has few cases, but they
are very few as compared to the West
Side and Seventeenth ward schools.
LIABILITY REDUCED.
The liability of spreading the disease
through the schools would be very ma
terially reduced, Superintendent How
ell said, if it wasn't that physicians,
as well as parents. are negligent. II"
personally knew of d case where doc
tor gave to child u permit to return
to school the day after the funeral of
member of that child's household
who had died of contagious disease.
Affected children were given permits
at the first sign of convalescence, and
came back to school with strons,
tpn 90
The epidemic does not seem to wake
these offending physicians to the dan
ger that attends their negligence, 50
the superintendent suggested that the
question of when quarartned child
ought to be permitted to return to
school should no longer be left to the
discretion Of the physician, but a cer-
tain safe time be flNed by the board
of health: ten. fourteen or twenty
days as the health officer would deem
advisable.
The state law says that a child af.
fected with contagious disease shall not
be allowed to return to school unit!
thirty days after cOnvalescence, and
no other child in the household is to be
permitted in school from the time TIL!
case is reported until thirty days afte,
the death or convalescence of the pa.
tient.
This law was deemed too stringent
and the local authorities modified it by
leaving the matter to the discretion oi
the attending physician.
Superintendel 1t Howell advised amend.
ing the blank form of the board by
adding the following: "--- days hav.
ing elapsed since death or con.
valescence)." Teachers are to be in
structed not to accept any pupil within
the period fixed.
SUGGESTION ADOPTED.
The board adopted this suggestion
and directed DR.. Allen to consult with
Superintendent Howell and fix the time
limit. 1t also, as stated above, directed
him to use his own discretion about
closing schools, advising him to con-
suit Superintendent Howell regularly
to ascertain the number of cases ir
the different districts. DR.. Allen want
ed the board to give him explicit direc-
tions to close q school whenever any
one of its rooms has five cases of any
contagious disease. The board pre-
ferred to have the doctor use his own
| discretion and to act without limita
tions of any kind.
Plumbing Inspector O'Malley SUBJ
mittpd n plan for fumjca ting school