The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-08-18
DEADLY POlsONs
IN OUR SCHOOLS WHICH MAY
CAUSE MUCH SICKNESS.
Some Suggestions Looking 10 the
Remedying of These Conditions hy
the School Boards.


There appeared in q late nuMbeT
OF Good Housekeeping an article
under the caption. Deadly Pclsoas
in our Schools" that contains suS-
gestions worthy OF consideration.
The author portrays an appalling
situation. He reckons the fire peri.
as trifing beside the constant spread
OF disease through common drink
ing cups and other mediums OF H.
lection found in our schools. Space
will allow only one or TWO quota
lions. He says:
"A cup which had been used in
high school for sevc-a! months
without being washed was lined
inside with thin browaiSh depos-
It. Under the microscope this prov
ed tc be bits CT skin and millions OF
| bacteria Some Of this sediment
was injected under the skin OF a
pig died. 4 post mortem e1amina-
tion revealed that death was due to
| the presence OF a sufficient number
OF pneumonia germs TO cause blood
poisoning. 4 second guinea pig in
ocuiated with the cup sediment de-
veloped tuberculosis.
| Such a condition may be seldom
found. but most likely this is the
rule rather than the exception. AL
most every school boy and sir! is
familiar with the drinking cup with
It's thin b.ownish lining" Posi-
bly, not more than a dozen schools
in the State have given this matter
thought and have gone to the
expense OF ban!shing the drinking
cup have visited a great many
! schools and in nearly ali the water
:, is poured IN open buckets, all the
children drinking from the same
nasty tin dipper and often the buck
ct sitting in the school room By the
hour recipient Of the germ laden
dust
Such conditions ought not 70 be.
n We value the lives Of our children
We must see 10 the sanitary con-
d!tioa Of our schools. Probaly two
thirds OF our dangerous epidemics
may be traced to this one infective
medium Scientists have shown that
the du!lness OF most children is due
10 the presence OF some slow vast
ing disease brought US by the dread
ed microbe or by lack OF proper
nourishment.
How may the condition be rene
died? First. see the imperative need
Of a remedy and awake all the peo.
pie to a realization Of this need
Health Boards. Teachers Associa.
tions. Women's Clubs and the press
should take up the propaganda. I.
at frst funds are not sufficient &c
put in modern drinking fountains. al
least. throw away the old cup and
require individual drinking cups.
However. our efforts should not
stop until the very best fountains
nave been installed. There are only
few OF these to be found IN the
State. at the Julian Mitchell School
} Charleston: the Taylor School. Co.
ium bia: the Graded School. Harts-
} vile. and possibly one or two 9th
ers. l would suggest that those
interested in their schools visit one
OF the these schools to see how per.
tectly sanitary and hygenic are these
drinking fountains. There is nc
such thing as the drinking waite,
becoming infected from the lips o!
the pupils. Thus. the child is less
exposed to pneumonia. diptheria
colds. consumption and other con.
.asious diseases.
Space will not allow me to dis
cuss other poisons and how they are
conveyed into the system Of the
children. I will mention only few
mediums OF infection against which
war should be waged with unabat-
ed enersey: Second hands books
chewing gum. dusty rooms. poo,
ventilation and loosely ftt.ns
floors" l trust these few words will
serve to remind our school officials
to attend to thse matters before the
schools open for another season.
S. W. GARRETT.