The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-17
GERMS SPREAD
BY CLOTHING
f-
ChiIdren's Apparel Denounced by
Health Officers.
DANGER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HOW CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
COULD BE STAMPED OUT.
DANGER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

THE health authorities have been
conducting a special investigation
with reference to the spread OF
contagion and as a result they declare
that the public schools are among the
worst disseminating agencies the board
has 70 deal with. One of the main
causes Of the schools being such hot
beds Of disease, it is claimed, is the fact
that 50 many Of the pupils wear non
washable clothing. such as wooden
dresses and the Ike that cannot be
Numbered. The germs of disease from
one home, it is argued, are taken into
the school room in these clothes and
then into a thousand homes.
The school room has long been re-
garded as a dangerous source of dis
ease. and many measures have been
adopted to lessen the liability, but there
still remain many more improvements
that could be made, according to the
health authorities. The investigations
Of the health authorities show that
perhaps the largest per cent of diseases
Of contagious and Infectious char
acter is spread by school children.
Clothing Is Blamed.
When every precautlon is taken to
keep children affected with such dis
eases and all other persons from the
same house out of school, the question
arises. how do the germs get into the
schools? According to the statements
of the inspectors, the clothing of the
school children is responsible for the
presence of the germs in the school
rooms. Many Of the children, il Is
pointed out. wear wooden clothing that
cannot be or is not washed Often
. chi
the germs Of some contagious or infec-
tiOus disease are to be found. The
germs are in the clothing, it is argued,
and are taken to the school room.
where they are disseminated through
the atmosphere, and in turn taken up
by the clothing of other children, then
carried into each Of a hundred or more
homes.
Although children who are known to
come from homes where there has. been
disease are forced to have their cloth
ing fumigated, many come in contact
with disease, 1t is claimed. without
knowing it and their clothing carries
the germs. If the cloth is not washed
or disinfected in some way, it becomes
a germ breeder. In this way, il Is as
serted. much disease is scattered
throughout the city and brought upon
persons and homes without warning
To Lessen the Danger.
It is argued that if the children were
all forced to wear washable clothing
the danger would be. greatly 1essened.
The frequent washing Of the clothes
would keep them free from the dirt
that nurtures and keeps the disease
germs alive. and would not only be a
great advantage from a health stand
point, but from the standpoint of
cleanliness as well.
The health authorities propose 10
/ commence making the rounds # the
! dairies in the nears future to discover
the condition Of the places from which
the city derives its milk supply. Ac-
: cOrding to the statement Of the health
/ officers, special attention viii be paid
/ to the feed provided for the cattle. as
TO whether any brewers malt is used
or not. E
According to the statements of DR.. R.
[ L. Gillespie Of Portland, Ore, who re-
! Gently read a paper before the State
! Medical society, success in stamping
/ out disease comes only by having
| stringent laws regulating such cases,
and having the laws strictly enforced.
q The doctor, who was formerly city ply
( stefan Of Portland, tells very interest
! ingly about the manner in which con-
ftagion is handled In that city, and sug-
/ gests that Salt Lake might get some
( valuable suggestions therefrom.
Law Is Stringent.
In Portland, he says, the law requires
/ that every physician report a case Of
contagion Immediately upon discover
ing it. If he fails to do so he is
! promptly arrested and fined SIS for the
] first offense. II he does it again he is
/ arrested and fined the limit, $780, The
t judge, he says, does not warn them
not to do it again, because they are
/ presumed to know the law, and if they
/ do not obey they have to pay the PEN
/ atty. No excuse is accepted for negli-
/ gence Of duty, and, as he stated. one Of
/ the most prominent doctors of the city
/ was heavily fined for trying to hide a
| case Of contagion In the family of a
/ prominent person.
DR.. Gillespie further states that
I when a notice IS served upon a person
! to clean up his place. the Inspector goes
| around the following day, and if the
| cleaning has not been done the person
! is arrested and fined, not turned loose
1 with a warning.
| Children from families where con-
/ taTion has been, ne says, are not per-
mitted TO return TO school without
/ permit from the city physician. and Il
/ a teacher violates this rule that teach
/ er is arrested and fined.