Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-08
MEASLES CUTS BIG
|NROAD N SCHOOLS
Number of Pupils Absent in
Many Buildings is Fully SO
Per Cent
EPIDEMIC IS WIDESPREAD
IS WIDESPREAD
Not Ward in tho City Escapes the
Disease, and With What Arc Now in
Existence There Have Without Doubt
Been Close to 1000 Cases Lower
School Grades Demoralized.

Almost any one would ordinarily
fight to have the epithet "measly"
applied to the city by some jealous out
slider, but at the present time no COM
plant could consistently be registered
That pestiferous little microbe that
causes the exanthematous disease
known as measles has certainly been
busy during the past three weeks, as
nearly every family in the city with
small children will testify. Doctors say
that 1000 is a conservative estimate Of
the number of cases during the present
epidemic, aItho many are now conval-
escent. I,
Naturally when a children's epidemic
gets started the public schools are the
first place to become affected, and the
lower grades of nearly every building
In town are quite demoralized. In the
Arnold school, aside from the kinder
garten, the lower grade pupils have
passed thru the disease and are back
In school with the beginning OF the
spring term today. The larger pupils
from the fourth grade up. are now the
ones who are victims. The Woodbury.
is able to make a good showing today
as the bulk of it's student body has
passed thru the ordeal. In most of the
buildings of the city, however, the at
tendance is cut fully SO per cent.
In the First ward school there were
present today in the first grade fifteen
pupils out of a normal attendance OF
thirty-five. In the second grade sew
entaen out of thirty-six answered 70
roll. The kindergarten is not so badly
affected, and the third, fourth and fifth
grades as yet, show little change In
attendance owing to the epidemic.
In the Rogers school there were only
ten first grade pupils present, whereas
a regular attendance of thirty is ex-
pected. The second, third and fourth
grades show about one half of the nor
nal attendance. Above the fourth
grade the children are not as yet show
ing any signs of the trouble.
The first grade of the Click school
shows nineteen present out of an at
tendance of thirty EIGHT; the second
eighteen out of forty. Only three or
four are out of the kindergarten, and
from the third and fourth up the at
tendance is about normal.
Forty absent from the Abbott lower
grades brings the attendance to about
one-half in the primary department. A
great many are returning In this build
ing. having passed thru the disease.
Only the first four grades are affected.
In the fifth every pupil was present,
and in the sixth there was but one alb
sentee.
In the Arson there We're nine absent
out Of thirty-f1ve pupils in the first;
eleven out of thirty three in the second,
and sixteen out of thirty in the third.
Eight out of twenty-one morning kin
dergarten pupils were absent, and
about the same ratio was absent in the
afternoon.
At the Arnold school, which has been
thru the epidemic to a large extent, the
showing at the beginning of the spring
term was better in the lower grades.
Seven out of thirty In the hndergar-
ten were absent, and the first second
and third grades were about normal.
From the fourth grade up the pupils
are now having their tussle.
The Woodbury. school, which showed
the largest decrease in attendance dur
ing the last three weeks of the winter
term, is about back to normal again,
and many pupils re-entered today.
When school closed for the spring va
cation week ago last Friday, there
were only 1853 pupils present out of a
total enrolment of 29s. Today there
are about a dozen absentees in the en-
tire building.
Doctors report that, while measles is
a disease always expected In children.
and, In fact, is always desirable before
the years of maturity are attained,
there are several pretty severe cases
In the city. Pneumonia, quite COM
mon complication, and one always
guarded against, has already caused
one death, and there are now a few
cases where pneumonia has developed.
a fatal complication. Theer are alsoI
several cases of suppurated ears The
infection is not transmissible by cloth
ing, as in some other diseases
Of the same class, but is
contracted by inhaling the breath
of patient.
Il