Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-18
MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS
Later Developments Of Indus
trial School Incident.
FURTHER INQUIRY
OUTBREAKS AMONG INMATES
IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
Text of Correspondence Between Com
missioner Macfarland and Other
District officials.
FURTHER INQUIRY

Additional facts have been brought TO
| light relative to cases of sudden illness on
! the part of inmates of the Industrial Home
! School, and the knowledge of these addi-
/ tional facts has involved the matter in
| greater mystery than ever From recent
! letter to Commissioner Mcfarland from
the trustees of the Industrial Home School
! it is learned that the unexplained outbreak
| at the school the past summer was not the
| first instance of such illness noted at the
school, On the contrary. during the sum
mers of 1898. 1901 and 1902, outbreaks of
illness similar to that of the past summer
occurred there.
From this information it is learned that
! the outbreaks have occurred under the man
agement of three different superintendents
| The illness appeared in 1858 and did not re-
| cur again until 1901. and in this circum-
| stance there appears the element of mys
| terry.
| Previous to the receipt by Commissioner
| mcfarland of the recent communication
| from the trustees of the school, 1t is stated,
| the District authorities had no knowledge
| of outbreaks at the institution in former
| years. The cause of the epidemic occurring
| in August of this year has been inquired
| into by the management of the school and
| by the health officer of the District, but TO
! definite conclusions have been reached as
| to the result of the Investigations. With
| the additional facts in hand Commissioner
| MaCfarland today referred the matter for
| the first time to the board of charities,
| with the request that the board make an
| investigation into the whole affair and
| endeavor, if possible, to ascertain the
cause or causes of the Illness. Mr.. Macfar-
| land has not referred the matter to the
board of charities before because of the
fact that the board OF trustees of the
school had been making an investigation
and he desired to wait until the results of
its inquiry were known.
Shortly after the Illness occurred at the
school this summer the trustees conducted
an inquiry into the matter and later called
the health authorities of the District into
the case. From the nature of the Illness,
1t appeared that the cause was ptomaine
poisoning. but this could not be determined
to absolute certainty. The statements of
the board of trustees and the health officer
on the results of the previous investigation
and the correspondence between these
parties and Commissioner Mcfarland have
been published heretofore in the columns
of The Star.
Reference to Board Of Charities.
Commissioner Macfarlands letter of to-
day to the board of charities is as follows:
please make inquiry to ascertain if pos
sible the cause or causes of the sudden i'll
ness, in no case fatal, of a number of per-
sons at the Industrial Home School on GER
tain days in the late summer of 1898, 1901.
1902 and 1903. The cases occurring in 1898,
1901 and 1902 have just been brought to
the attention of this office for the first time
by the board of trustees of the Industrial
Home School, its management under the
law. That board has been unable by its
Investigations to find the cause causes
of these outbreaks. The health officer who
has investigated those occurring in the
present year the others not having been
reported to him or to any other District
ia 7 Learnt ia uDabla n
account for them.
1.-The suggestions made by the health
officer in this connection that the manage
ment of the institution should change the
source of its milk supply and the manner
of treating and the manner of keeping the
milk in the institution, have all been
adopted by the board of trustees and are
being carried out. If the outbreaks We're
due to the milk the improvements made
ought to prevent them in future. But 1t
cannot be said, apparently, either by the
board of trustees or by the health officer,
that the milk responsible for the ILL
nesses. II may be impracticable for any one
to succeed In finding the reason for these
outbreaks, since the board of trustees and
the health officer have failed to do so. but
l am unwilling to let the matter rest with
out employing every possible means to OBJ
tain the essential facts if possible, so that
a preventive remedy may be applied
Superintendent Letter.
The letter to Commissioner Mcfarland
from the trustees of the Industrial Home
School is dated November Is, and is signed
By Mrs Huldah W. Blackford. secretary
This letter contains the information rela-
tive to outbreaks of Illness at the insutu-
ton In previous years. and Is in reply to a
cnmmunica ton from Mr. hiacfarland trans
hitting a report on the investigation ny
DIR. w. c. Woodward, health ofhcer OF the
District. The letter says:
Replying to the comments of DR.. Wood
hat hn
know of the sickness at the time the bottle
OF spring water was delivered by himself to
tho health department for analysis: that as
he detained by business engagements
he did not learn of the outbreak TIL be-
/ tween : and O'Clock pm. of August lS.
Superintendent Skinner states that he told
the officer of the health department 10
whom he was directed by Health Officer
Woodward to deliver the samples of bread
and milk. that they were samples taken
fl ON the breakfast tables of August IS, and
that the vomt was from the stomach of
one attacked by Illness on that day.
superintendent Skinner states that al
though he did call repeatedly at the health
department. he was not told between Au-
gust 10 and 20 by the health officer or any
one connected with that department the re-
suits of the analysis of the vomit, bread or
milk.
superintendent Skinner further states
that Dr. Fowler to whom he was directed
for information by Health Officer Wood
ward told him (Mr. Skinner) August %
that he need not call again, that he CDR.
Fowler would send to him written reports
of the analysis of the samples submitted.
Mr.. Skinner says that the promised reports
have not yet been received.
Or Woodward will, in the light Of these
facts understand the meaning of the trus
tees when they say that Superintendent
Skinner on August 20. again asked the
health department for report
Mr.. SINNERS Statement.
Replying to your inquiry. Superintendent
Skinner states that the day after he
became superintendent of the Industrial
Home School Mr.. Sherwood, of Storm a.
Sherwood. called. and stated that it had
been his custom to take two quarts of
cream from the home school milk at his
own dairy and to deliver the cream and
milk separately, making no charge for the
cream upon the bills. Mr.. Skinner replied
that If he had the power he would change
trait custom at once. Mr.. Sherwood as
sured him that he had a right to give
such order and have the milk delivered
before removing any cream. Mr. Skinner
saws that he did order that no Craayp ha