The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-22
CARELESS N. D.'s
Together With Thoughtless Parents,
They Contribute to Spread Of
Scarlet Fever.
On Other Hand, Thorough, Scien.
tifc Work Operates to Decrease
Diphtheria.

Health statistics for the last four
months Of 1902 and January up to date
show an increase Of 50 cases of scarlet fe-
yer over the corresponding period for a
year ago. For the same period last year
there were 149 cases Of scarlet fever, and
since Sept, / last
This increase has been offset by big
slump in diphtheria. In the five months
beginning with September, 1901, and in
Guiding January, 1908, 729 cases Of diph-
liberia were reported, as compared with
ALI this year or 315 less. r.. --.. .-.. j.. FL
The health authorities say that it Is
difficult to explain why scarlet fever has
been more prevalent. Increased care
lessness on the part Of the public and fall
ure to observe the health regulations UNI
til patients finally come under official
surveillance, are probably the reasons for
the wider range of the disease. Family
spread Of scarlet fever by failing to make
a proper diagnosis until the victim has
had a good opportunity to communicate
the diseases to others.
Scaling off In School. r
A case in point was brought to light a
few days ago at the Douglas school. Here
1t was a case of contributory, negligence
on the part Of both the attending physi-
clan and the family. When boy in one
doctor called in failed to diagnose the
| case. He was in doubt and advised the
parents to keep the child out of school,
| If his condition grew worse, he asked
them to summon him again. Instead Of
doing so. the parents had the patient
treated by another physician and wher
| he had apparently recovered last Monday
! he was sent back to school. Desuuama.
ton had set in and the boy amused him
self while studying by peeling the Skin
from his face Noticing this, the teacher
| became alarmed, and after sending him
home, notified the health department. II
then developed that the child was con-
valescing from scarlet fever. At the
| same time a brother and sister had beer
attending school in two other rooms Of
the building. ,.-
Sanitary Inspector Leonard, who in
! vestigated the case, promptly placed the
| family under quarantine and closed the
| three rooms which had been subject to
! contagion. These rooms were then thor
oughly fumigated, and the sulphurous
| vapors permeated the entire building SO
strongly that it became necessary to close
school for the day. 90.
| The health department had no means
Of locating this isolated case of fever
until its discovery in such an unusual
| manner.
| Decrease In DlphtherIa.
| The. marked decrease in diphtheria is
attributed to the increased precautions
taken by the health department from year
| to year to head off this disease. The
meteorological examinations are becom-
ing more and more exhaustive and the
accompanying campaign of education has
impressed upon people the necessity and
wisdom of cooperating with the authori-
| ties as much as possible. The practice
of taking "smears" Of suspicious throats
is becoming much more common with
physicians than formerly, as result Of
which the disease is frequently checked
in it's incipient stages, or discovered ir
time to: enable the department to throw
the quarantine safeguards around it.
e.. The following tables show, the, prey
a1ence Of scarlet fever and diphtheria
for the last five months as compared with
that period a year ago: