The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-11-18
SICKNESS AMONG cHILDREH.

THE PRESENCE OF most unusual number OF
cases of scarlet fever and diphthera IN Salt Lake
must be a source of great uneasiness to parents
generally There Is today hardly neighborhood IN
the city that hasn't more eases OF scarlet lever
Diphthera prevails much less extent but 1t IS ac-
companied by a frightful percentage OF mortality.
Health Commissioner King sounded warning note
in TIC Herald of yesterday lie urges parents to he
particularly watchful of their children at TINS time
Many cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria may be pre-
vented If proper precautions are taken the moment
the child exhibits symptoms of illness In times such
as hese 1t Is decidedly unsafe TO attempt home cures
However much experience mother NAV have, she
is likely to indirectly cause the death of her own
child and the exposure Of others to infection by treat
ing an i1t.ipient case of dphthera a sore
throat or mistang scarlet fever for minor child
ish ailment three-doar visit from doctor Is better
than Observation-Disclosures of sickness or the
agony of bereavement.
As Dr. King points out delay of even a few hours
may be fatal Gases of diphtheria have developed
and proven fatal in day Scarlet fever the other
hand. has not been fatal, but tell when
the disease IS likely to become virulent Anttoxlne
in competent hands Is doing much to relieve iphthera
of its horrors but all the anttoxine IN the world will
not cure a neglected case.
Experience has taught that the school rooms are
the most prolific breeders of disease The school board
of London has adopted precautionary measures the
districts under its control that might well be rigidy
enforced in Salt Lake The head teachers of the
schools held responsible for the carrying out of
set of stringent regulations.
All premises must be freely ventilated during school
hours and after the departure of the children and
every must be washed at least three weeks
Ii child comes dirty to school he must wash at once,
and if further cleaning is necessary, he Is be sent
home To each child Is given separate hook for hat
and wraps. The same hook must be used by the same
child every day
Unsanitary odors to be reported at once to the
head Office. Drains must be slUiced twice a day and
all necessary disnfectng done by the local authorities
When child shows symptoms of any well known in
fictitious disease he be sent home at once and the
superintendent of visitors notified as well as the med
zeal officer for the district Precautions are taken to
keep away from school any child liable to infection
from the sick child
Each teacher is supplied with list containing the
general symptoms of diseases, so that they may be
readily recognized Accurate registers which show the
absences of the children and the causes are required
Some of the rules enumerated are already in force in
Salt Lake They cannot be too implicitly obeyed
1t might be good idea for Health Commissioner
King, i he has rot the time for some other physi-
clan whom he may designate to give bi-weekly lee
ture to the teachers IN meeting the subject of
infectious diseases among children. These lectures
should be stripped far possible Of technique and
couched IN English plain that all could understand
Ignorant teachers do as much harm as ignorant
mothers, but the instruction of the former IS much
more feasible than the instruction of the latter The
Herald hopes 1t viii be possible to institute the course
of lectures suggested.