New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-19
PLAGUE IN SCHOOLS.
HEALTH BOARD CRUSADE.
Parents Mast Choose Be,peen Co
operation and Arrest.

PedicuIosis capites is the medical designation of
an unnameable disease which causing
amount Of trouble in the public schools at the
present time. The complaint itself is nothing new.
The teachers have long since accepted it as OF
the inevitable ills Of school life. and in the
habit OF referring to it Familiarity ''ped-cap."
The element in the situation is the determine
ton of the Board of Health TO eradicate the plague.
To this end the school nurses have been instruct
ed to visit the homes Of the children and give the
mothers practical demonstrations OF how the af
fected heads should be treated. AS there esti-
mated to be twenty-three thousand pediculoss
cases in the schools this cannot all be done at
so the nurses. each Of whom has four or five
schools in her charge have been instructed 10 take
one school at time. make thorough examination
OF the pupils class by class, and send home
treatment fifteen children every day.
HOW IT WILL BE DONE
Zach child IS to be instructed TO report at home
ct some particular time and must carry instruc-
lions to the mother to have ready kerosene hot
vinegar and whatever else may be required for the
treatment At the specified time the nurse calls
and the mother performs the necessary operations
under her supervision
heretofore advice regarding the treatment Of
peolculosls has been conveyed to the mothers only
through the children who were quite likely 20 lose
the pamphlet of instruction the way home and
forget the verbal advice By bringing the nurse
INTO direct contact with the mother and giving the
latter a practical demonstration OF how the work
should be done, the Board of Health homes that
something appreciahle will be accomplished
The new system went into effect on Tuesday of
this week. and has met with much opposition The
principals say they have authority to send the
children home. and lake such orders from
the nurses They also say that the taking out of
such a large number of children every day disor-
gantzes the classes, and that the mothers ought to
be compelled to attend TO such matters out of
school hourE
UNSPEAKABLE CONDITION.
nv
school Inspection. professed himself quite unable
yesterday TO understand this opposition
AT the present time he said. about 70 per cent
OF the cases treated by the in daily visit
to school are cases of pediculosis Each patient
mas 10 leave his or her class, go downstairs and
remain there from fifteen minutes to half an hour
1t seems to that the method we have now
adopted will take much less time and do infinitely
more good. The old methods effected almost moth
ing, but there scarcely be any mother so
stupid that after she has been shown how to heat
the head and bind it up and actually done the
work under the nurses supervision. cannot repeat
the process when it is necessary.
don't see any other way deal with the
problem. and something has got 70 be done We
get complaints daily from parents VINO say
that their children home from school every
day so Ill and nervous that they can't eat work
What are parents to do who can't afford to send
u s30d q mother can keep her childs head clean.
The present coSdtion of the schools in this
particular IS unspeakably shocking OF 5000 chill
far from improving the condition is only growing
worse In one school as many 7e1 cases were
where it would be least expected and only
among small children. but among grammar school
girls. The teachers and principals IN many
is safe.
WILL ARREST PARENTS
Under sucn conditions mental development be-
comes Impossible. A child fix its attention
study with this constant outside irritation.
Even little Inflammation in finger would
incapacitate most grown people for work. and chill
dren are no different II is nonsense say that
4 don't see the smallest reason for the continu-
ance Of such plague. II used TO be argued THAI
danger OF reinfection al home Yet in six months,
beginning May. 1905, the number Of cases of ira
reduced. and 1t has got be done II the parents
be excluded school until their heads are clean;
and If they are kept out too long the parents will
con- pu lsory education law
IF the Board of Education and the teachers CO.
operate the thing will be II they don't, II
Will be difficult. but not impossible. l hope.
however. that the opposition will prove serious.
system, and of the district superjntendeuts
has also expressed cordial approval Why there IS
From conversation with some OF the protesting
principals II appears that part Of the difficulty
not peculiar to the present campaign.
The principal aAd teachers are under the
cipal The visiting physician represents the Board
OF Health, and as for the nurses, one seems to
corps were appointed and directed by the Board Of
Education, much better work could be done and
The City Superintendent, DR.. William H Max
well had heard nothing about the action of the
said ne had no knowledge of any friction in the
schools.