The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-09-15
Pupils Will Undergo An Exam
inaiion At Once
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Directors Take the Ground That
There Will Be No InfantiIe
Paralysis
From Thursdays Daily.


Medical examinations of the
schools of the city are now in
progress, under the supervision
of DR.. A. F. Schmitt, health COM
missioner, who is assisted by
Misses Peters and Deveraux,
nurses, Or. J. w. Andrews, and
other prominent Mankato phys-
clans. The pupils of the North
Mankato and Lutheran schools
were examined yesterday, and
the Pleasant Grove school pupils
were examined this morning. The
high school and other grade
schools of the city will be Wis
tied and the pupils examined as
rapidly as possible.
Not to close the public schools
for the purpose of safeguarding
against infantile paralysis. but to
have thorough examination of the
children, taking those of the grade
schools today and tomorrow-such
was the unanimous decision of the
school board at the regular meeting
last evening, after a lengthy discus
sion. -
Miss Abbie Peters, the school
nurse, was authorized to obtain such
help as she needed in order to COM
plete the examination of the grade
school pupils before the end of the
school week.
The matter was preached, when a
communication, presented by DR.. A.
F. Schmitt, city health officer, on
hnh o of I'd of u
was read by Secretary E. F. Soaring.
The communication called attention
to the fact that 500 students had
been brought into the city ny the
opening of the state normal school,
and that while about eighty of these
students were staying at the normal
dormitory, the rest were in private
houses, and many of them probably
came from infected districts. and
were liable to spread the germs of
infantile paralysis. The communica-
ton recommended that the public
schools, as well as the parochial
was admitted that the recommends
ton came rather late, but this was
due to the fact that the state board
Of health was late in bringing the
matter to the attention of the public
1t was stated that the local board
of health was merely advising the
closing of the schools and not order
ing it.
Doctors In Discussion.
DR.. w. A. Beach asked DR.. Schmitt
whether it could be proven that the
disease of 1nfantile paralysis could
be communicated from one person to
another.
There was quite a discussion be-
tween the two physicians on this
subject. 1t developed that the fact
of communication of the disease
from person to person had never
been scientifically proven, but DR..
Schmitt called attention to the fact
that it was the consensus of opinion
in the civilized countries of Europe
and America that there was such
communication, and isolation was
being practiced generally
d, DR.. Beach said some had the the
DRY that horses carried the disease
and others said chickens did it. The
fact was that the question had not
been answered.
DR.. Schmitt spoke of an expert
ment performed in the Rockefeller
institute, where secretions of the
nose and throat of human beings af-
flicted with infantile paralysis had
been placed in the nostrils of guinea
pigs and rabbits and these animals
had degeloped the disease.
DR.. Beach asked whether it was
not a fact that the epidemic of in
fantile paralysis had been most
prevalent at times when the schools
were not in session.
DR.. Schmitt said that was true,
but infantile paralysis was worst in
the hot weather, and that happened
to be when the vacation was on. DR..
Schmitt remarked in another con-
nection hat he believed that here
in Mankato there had actually been
some abortive cases of infantile pa
ralysis, though there was no proof
of it.
Other Schools Would Close.
DR.. Schmitt stated that Principal
Hugo Frey of the Lutheran school
and Rev. Anthony Hartman of ST.
Peter and Paul's Catholic school had
told him that they would abide by
the decision of the Mankato school
board and if the public schools were
closed for two weeks, the parochial
schools would likewise close
Miss Abbie Peters, the visiting
nurse, stated that infantile paralysis
was most difficult disease to di-
agnose. There were no definite
symptoms by which the disease could
be detected in it's early stages, as
was the case with other contagious
diseases. Miss Peters remarked that
the public schools of ST. Paul had
been postponed for one week, pend
ing decision on the part of the
authorities as to what further steps
to take.
Judge Evan Hughes asked wheth.
er the state fair had also been post
poned and Miss Peters said there
was a large attendance at the fair
President w. P. Davies asked il
the state board of health recon-
mended the closing of the MOVING
picture theatres. DR.. Beach said thi:
had been left to the local boards
Dr. Beach remarked that some O