The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-09-15

I'm the PUBIC SCHOOLS ana lie ulu
not think he would be conserving
their health any by keeping them
out of school.
Willard Was In Doubt.
w. d. Willard doubted whether
There was any appreciable advantage
in keeping the schools closed. He
thought the disease might be just
las liable to be communicated in
other places. DR.. Beach thought the
sickness coming upon any child
would be more apt to be discovered
if the child was in school, than
if ne were at home. The parents
might not observe him, or neglect
the matter.
Erick Engwalson thought that If a
child was found ill and was sent
home and found to have infantile
paralysis, the school board would
be blamed for not having closed
the schools.
Mr. Willard said every parent with
whom he had talked on the subject
of closing the schools was against
the measure. o. G.. Olson said he
had had the same experience. Mrs.
B. D. Smith said she had talked with
four or five parents, who wanted
not only the grade schools but like
wise the high school closed. Judge
Hughes said he had seen dozen
who thought the school commission
ers would be the most foolish peo-
pie in the world to close the schools.
Dr. Schmitt spoke of the eX-
aminations that he had made that
day of the pupils of the North Man
found that fully 70 per cent of the
pupils of both of these schools were
afflicted with diseased tonsils. He
did not find three children in the
North Mankato school that had
healthy tongues. The condition was
about the same in the Lutheran
school. He was appalled, and dunn
founded. A few were sent home be-
cause they had suspicious threats.
Keep Schools Open.
Mr. Willard thought it would be
best to keep the schools open and
have general examination of the
children. not merely with the idea
of detecting infantile paralysis, but
er sicknesses among them. 1t should
be done at once, and within a short
space of time, if it required dozen
nurses to do it.
DR.. Schmitt said the examinations
that were made in the North Man
kato school and the Lutheran school
and would be made in the Catholic
school were merely examinations Of
the nose and throat.
Mr. Willard offered motion that
instead of closing the schools, the
board arrange to have an examina
ton made at once of all the children
of the schools within the next two
days. He was willing to include the
high school.
Dr. Schmitt said the board of
health would examine the normal
school pupils this week..
Mr.. Willard remarked that he had
talked with two doctors, both of
whom had expressed the opinion that
there was no more danger of infan-
tile paralysis with the schools open
than with them closed.
Mr.. Davies said that as health Of
ficer, Dr. Schmitt was carrying out
the orders of the state board of
health, but Mr. Davies said he
thought DR.. Schmitt would admit it
to be his personal opinion that there
was no more danger with the schools
open than closed.
Safer to Close Schools.
DR.. Schmitt said he had been in
clined so to think at first, but after
the state board had made it's recon-
mendatiOn, it seemed to him that
with $50 students coming into Man
kato from all parts of the state, it
would be safer to close the public
schools for two weeks.
Mr.. Willard said that if the pub
lie schools were closed in Mankato
the word would go forth that Man
kato had the disease.
DR.. Beach remarked that if the
schools were closed and the children
ran all over town and went to the
moving pictures and other public
places, they would be in just as much
danger of communicating the di-
sease, as if they were in school
Superintendent F. J. Sperry nodded
assent He remarked that suspicious
cases could be detected better in
the schools than out of them.
DR.. Schmitt said he believed the
other two members of the local board
Of health, the mayor and the city
clerk, would be in accord with him,
! if he should withdraw the recon-
mendation that the schools close and
recommend a physical examination
of the children instead.
Mr.. Willard now renewed his mo-
ton, adding that the school nurse be
, empowered to employ such help as
she needed to complete the examina-
ton within the next two days. This
was passed without a dissenting vote
Mr.. Sperry said Miss Peters de-
sired information as to whether she
was to extend her inspection to the
parochial and normal schools
Mr.. Davies said Miss Peters
worked for the city school board
only, as he understood.
Mrs. Smith said there was also a
visiting nurse, who would be ex-
pected, she understood, to go out to
the other schools.
Mr.. Sperry said Miss Peters would
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