The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1909-11-19
Enforce Rigid Inspection.

Theoretically and practically there is
no need OF closing a school to stop
dlphtheria. Use OF prophylactic anti
toxin and rigid school inspection will
check the extension.
In Colfax diphtheria has been endemic
ior over two years, and not till recently
do L see a probable end of it. | have
finally worked out plan which bids fair
to be effective and seems to excel any
other method thus far used for less
expense. My plan become effective
October /, 1909. 1t consists in first
instructing the teachers to send any
child appearing not we'll to its home, and
all cases Of skin eruption must bear a
certificate from the health officer permit
ting school attendance, otherwise they
are excluded. Not successful in procur-
ing the appointment Of salaried medi-
cal school inspector | thought best to
get an inspection OF all children out OF
school, thus hoping to catch the sick
onesspromptly. Accordingly asked the
school board to make an order that all
teachers report all abseDtees to the
school superintendent every forenoon, he
to give the list with addresses to the
health officer every forenoon. | then
secured the appointment of special Of
ficer by the city to work under directions
OF the health officer, and made it his
duty to get this daily list and personally
see every absentee from school, if sick,
unless the child be under the care OF q
physician, and get report of why the
child is out of school and, if sick, the
nature OF it's trouble.
Ii suspicious in the least to him, be
informs the parents either to get a
physician at once or the health officer.
Ii they get no physician the health officer
looks them up at once, and contagious
cases are thus caught up promptly. In
addition to this the teachers are in
structed to permit no children of a
family in which there ia sickness to
attend school till satisfied no contagious
disease exists. In addition, all children
exposed to contagious diseases are kept
from school a week, or until we feel
reasonably assured they are not going
to develop the disease from their known
exposure.
System Has Worked Admirably.
So far this system has worked admir-
ably. Several cases have been detected
on the first day of the illness, and expos
ure of the schools has been prevented.
No trouble has been experienced, and
only a few obstreperous parents or
guardians have been found, and they
quickly withdrew objection to examina-
tion by the special officer upon threat of
instant quarantine upon suspicion. One
case was quarantined over night till the
health officer could examine them and
no ill feeling engendered. This deputy
also attends to the fumigation after
inspection for release by the health
physician.
Results have been gratifying. Before
this form two to four new cases a week
we're reported by physicians. No cases
of diphtheria now exists in the city. The
last infection occurred October 1S. School
attendance has been increased and peo-
pie feel safer with their children in school
than under the old method with schools
closed, and | believe | see the end of
endemic diphtheria in Colfax. An iH-
portant point is this, the health officer
has absolute control; there is no division
of authority and thus the system works
smoothly.
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