Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-09-22
SCHOOL CHILDREN

PROTECTING SCHOOL CHILDREN
The September bulletin of the
state board of health calls attention
to the Importance Of frequent in
spection and examination of what
may be deemed mild cases of "sore
throat" in school children, and the
possibility by this simple precaution-
airy measure of avoiding epidemics of
diptheria and allied diseases among
school children. The state health
officer urges also that boards of ed
ucation require evidence of recent
successful vaccination as prerequi-
site to admission to school. There
are of course, some cases Of oppo-
sition to what have come to be held
necessary regulations and provisions
for the health Of children when as
sembled in such numbers as they are
in school, but these can be over
come, automatically or otherwise,
as is necessary. Certainly it would
seem that occasional cases Of oppo-
sition to proper health of a whole
school or congregation Of children.
In speaking of the matter of the
protection of children from contag-
ion, the state health officer says:
We fear the ''sore throat
cases because they embrace the
most contagious and dangerous
Of our infectious diseases-the
ones in this class, the most
dreaded being diptheria and
scarlet fever. Every autumn
just after the schools open there
is very marked increase in the
number of cases, in some in
stances assuming the proportion
of epidemics. This is no doubt
due to their very ineffective nat
ure and getting SO many pupils
together and in close contact,
coupled with the desire Of over
anxiuos parents to give their
children the advantages of full
school term. At su. times an
occasional malignant sore throat
is overlooked and getting into :;
the school room wide spread in
lection is the result. In many
cities in the east the plan of
medical inspection Of the schools
has been adopted, and the re-
suits have been so satisfactory
when it seems only a matter of
short time when it will be made
part of the school system of
the west. In coutry districts it
might seem improbable, but in
our cities and towns some modi-
f1cation of the plan could be sat
isfactorily applied. At the be-
ginning of the term, an inspec-
ton of each pupil by compe-
tent health officer, before admit
lance, would not only be feas-
ibIe, but procedure that should
commend itself to the tnte1li-
gent consideration of school
boards. In this way suspicious
cases would be detected, the in
terests of the school guarded,
and many an incipient epidemic
nipped in the bud. If it was made
rule in the school that every
: s'sore throat" of whatever kind
should be Immediately reported
to the teacher, who would have
z authority to refer it for lnspec-
ton, it would mean not only pro-
j. lection for the individual but to
the whole school. with our
80 most approved and up-to-date .,
treatment OF diptheria, we know ! :
that the percentage Of deaths IS ~.
still very large II the, cases are :,
neglected. hence the necessity a
Of an early diagnosis. Early .x.
# recognition and treatment means
life, while late treatment means
IN too many cases death. The
empty chair and vacant CRIB are :,
too often the sad reminders Of M
what was thought TO / be only
s'sore threat" and neglected I'M
til It was too late. d f. Z
Through generations Of vaccin-
alton, the viru1ence of the small pox
germ has come to be greatly iessoned