The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-08-12
DEADLY. P0IsONS
IN OUR SCHOOLS WHICH MA!
CAUSE MUCH SICKNESS.
Some Suggestions Looking to The
Remedying Of These Conditions ly
che School Boards.

the School Boards.
There appeared in late number
pf Good housekeeping an article
under the. caption, Deadly Poisons
in our Schools" that contains sug-
gestions worthy Of consideration.
The author portrays an appalling
situation He reckons the fire peril
as trifing beside the constant spread
of disease through common drink
ing cups and other mediums of IN
.section found in our schools. Space
will allow only one or two quota
tions.5 He says:
"a cup which had been. used in
a high school for several months
without being washed was lined
inside with thin brownish depos-
it. Under the microscope this prov
ed to be bits of skin and millions OF
bacteria. Some of this sediment
was injected under the skin of a
guinea pig and in forty hours the
pig, died. A post mortem e3amina-
ton revealed that death was due to
the presence of sufficient number
of pneumonia germs to cause blood
poisoning. A second guinea pig in
oculated 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 girl is
familiar with the drinking cup with
its thin brownish lining" Posi-
bly, not more than q dozen schools
in the State have given this matter
a thought and have gone to the
expense of banishing the drinking
cup. 1 have visited great many
schools and in nearly all 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 a recipient of the germ laden
dust.
Such conditions ought not to be-.
If we value the lives of our children
we must see. to = the sanitary con-
tlition of our schools. Probaly two
thirds of our dangerous epidemics
may be traced to this one infective
medium. Scientists have shown that
the dullness of most children is due
80 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. an realization Of this need;
Health Boards, Teachers Associa-
tions, Women's Clubs and the press
should take up the propaganda. Il
at first funds are notsisuff1cient to
put in modern drinking fountains, at
least, throw away the old cup and
require individual drinking cups |!
However, our efforts should not
stop until the very best fountains
have been installed. There are only
a few of these to be found in the
State, at the Julian Mitchell School,
Charleston; the Taylor School, CO.
lumbia; the Graded School, Harts.
vile, and possibly; one or two otn-
ers. 1 would suggest that those
interested in their schools, visit one
of the these schools to see how per-
fectly sanitary and hygenic are these
drinking fountains. There is no
such thing as the drinking water
becoming infected from the lips of
the pupils. Thus, the child Is less
exposed to pneumonia, diptheria'
colds, consumption and other con-
tagious 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 a rev
mediums of infection against which
a war should be waged with unabat-
ed energey: Second hands books,
chewing gum, dusty rooms, poor
ventilation and loosely fitting
fioors." I 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.