Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-03
..pr. ]. Z. Hil. chairman Of the School

III. u. II. 1ttii, 1IdlIIIldI1 Oh Tie SClOO
Board, City of Waterville
Dear Doctor-In compliance will
the request of your Honorable Board
that l investigate the physical condi-
tien of certain pupils of the Public
schools said to be suffering from tu-
berculosis, giving such time and at
tention to the matter as was neces-
saly. and report the findings thereof
| beg leave to say that / have attend
ed to that duty, and herewith submit
my conclusions
After n careful consideration of the
Sc cases reported to him, DR.. Thayer
continues his report as follows:
1.-The question of what cases shall
be permitted to attend school Is
fraught with many difficulties, and
can hardly be settled by any hard and
fast rule. Good Judgment and seom-
mon sense, as well as the ability to
discriminate diseased conditions
should all be brought to bear in the
settlement of each individual case. So
long as case is closed. that is, so
long as there is no active liberation
or expectoration, the pupil may as
we'll be in school as in the mills or
SIfBJS, Oh uDou ltic SllttLo. iIc ioNeti
plan, however, is 70 provide for all
tuberculosis scholars an open-air
school where they can pursue their
studies, and at the same time have
the benefit of the open-air treatment
with proper feeding.
There are 26 pupils in this city,
who are known to be tuberculous; 1t
is no rash statement, in my opinion,
to assert that there is undoubtedly an
equal number of unknowns who are
thus afflicted, making probable to-
tai of more than so. The most of these
are ineipient cases. or at least cases
of not very long standing. nearly all
of which are amendable to treatment,
and with proper care would bid fair
to become arrested cases, large pro-
portion of which might ultimately be
restored to health and usefulness. /
can hardly urge too strongly that this
question receive your immediate,
careful and earnest consideration.
In prosecuting this work l have
in all but one instance received the
hearty cooperation of the parents.
and have been most cordially second
ed by the superintendent of schools
and teachers. All of these pupils have
been examined several times with
much care and at various times of the
day in order that error might be elm
mated so far as possible. 1t should
be said that all these cases had been
diagnosed as probably tubercular at
the dispensary for patients suffering
from this disease. 1t appears proper,
Also to add, in this connection, that
Of thnSn
ed by some physician that they were
not suffering from tubercular trouble
and required no treatment. My judg-
ment is that those giving such opin-
ions would undoubtedly be quite will
ing to reverse them after more care
full and painstaking investigation, and
am quite willing to say that this
opinion is intensified by my own per-
sonal experience, for in quite a pro-
portion of these cases, the first exam
ination, undoubtedly rather cursory,
would have given very different con-
elusion from that ultimately reached
by the careful, painstaking, repeated
examinations.
Il am more than ever satisfied that
it is an experts task to determine in
cipient pulmonary tuberculosis, and
that the general practitioner, however
well equipped for his ordinary work,
is quite apt to fail to recognize at a
glance such conditions. Just how far
it is expected that l shall go in the
way of advice, suggestion and recon-
mendation | do not know. but at the
risk of exceeding the limit / cannot
close this report without calling your
attention to the importance of secur-
ing the service of some intelligent,
capable. clear-headed medical practi-
toner for Il school physician whose
duty it shall be to regularly visit the
schools, and to whom the school
board. superintendent or teachers can
turn for advice in the disposition of
any pupil who manifests evidence of
disease