Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-10-10
is SPREAD BY BOOKS
SCHOOL EPIDEMTCs CAUSED by
By SECOND HAND BOOKS.
Evidence That Cannot BE Disre-
gardcd-SmalipcX EfiGa!aia IN
kentucky.

Cincinnati Letter How many thou
sand American school children are to
be killed during the school year jnst
oponed? The word is chosen adylsd-
bly,, for the meaning is, that these
young people will die Of diphtherla,
smallpox, scarlet fever. malaria. tuber-
culugis. etc, through neglect TO take
certain precautions that are now. hap
ply, within the reach OF every school
board in A. states. three territories, the
District OF Columbia. Alaska, Porto Ri
go, the Philippines and Cn so far az we
may continue 10 be partly responsible
ia the Pearl Of the Antilles. Cuba Libre.
IN this imperial domain the one really
priceless possession Ia the army Of chill
dron whom we started for school the
other day
"Aa walk the village street,
A satchclod lad | meet,
with the same blue eyes and curry.
hair"
As many another lad who went TO
nrst days Of school this time twelve
month, and who, "in some mysterious
way" contracted diphthcria during the
term We know Of course, that The
prevalence of childrcn's Diseases during
the school year IS due to n variety Of
causes. and that at OF them are not
entirely Within tho control OF those
who can ard ought 10 act, in an Official
capacity, for the removal of such
causes,
hut let us suppose that by taking
certain course quite open TO school Of
dcials everywhere, the lives of many
school children viii be saved. VIII Of
ilcials adont that course? 1t rs only
one of the causes e the spread Of dis
case through the schools, II Is never
thc'ts3 80 easy to ret at. that It should
he eliminated at once from the list OF
wrong conditions In the school room.
The Chicago Public Library board
last winter put q special committee %
work on the subject of Infected hooks.
The eminent scientist Or. w, \ Kuf-
lowak was chairman G. tho committee
which examined nifty volumcs taken
from the library When the commit
tee reported. the doctor displayed sew
cral small glass tubes containing count
less gcrma Of disease taken from the
books, not C9o Ct The City being free
from thcri He was convinced that
books s.roud oontaglun
Now q person who takes a book ont
of the library IN town, city or village.
alway3 docs so nf his own free VIII,
but whom parents and school boards
put second hand books In the hands Of
the young pupil they are practically
master Of the situation, aud IL diphthe-
rla ur other dangerous d,arlse attacks
those children. their elders become re.
spoaaihlo An adult need not go 20 q
public lihraW we compel our children
10 30 Go school We have NO right TO
cndangor thoir lives by making them
use accand. hand books
But ~ disease communicated by sec
oud hand school hooks9 Here are two
facts TO be looked at, separately and
conformity, From so-lo cause or 9th
er tnoopd-hand school books have
found their way into nearly every
neiEhhorhCpd and school IN Kentucky.
SO have smallpox and other contagious
diseases. Scarcely county In the
state has escaped the rAvages OF this
contagiou. and IN most instances the
manner OF in approach is mystoriously
unknown.
DR. ] y Mccormack OF Bowling
Green, secretary of the state board OF
health, who has treated "A great many
eases OF smallpox IN the last three
Years, says, Ii is easy 20 see how
the use of secondhand books might
become source OF contaEion in oar
schools especially with scarlet fever
aud diphtherA The practice with
some of our book sellers of dealing ia
secondhand books is very objection
ahlc"
Oy \ J. Andrews, NJ Lexington, al
rector OF the gymnasium ol Kentucky
university and q practitioner of Wide
experience says. The use Of second.
hand books certainly might bcsome a
tr1ttrul source of couWEion Pupils in
ynv public schools should not be allow.
Cj 20 }.H sccood hand books at all rs-
n tally when they $40 not know who