Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-21
MAKE EP|DEMICS IN
SCHOOLS IMPOSSIBLE,
SUPT. WARD URGES
Head OF Schools Seeks Co.
operation OF All Concerned
in Efforts.
ORDER WENT OUT TODAY


That they may prevent an epidemic
or similar outbreak such as that which
has necessitated the closing of Pub
lie School No. 20 from causing an in
torruption OF the studies IN tho other
ublic Gchools of the city. David A.
Ward, superintendent Of public schools
today addressed n letter 10 Dr.. F'refor
tex Armstrong. tho medical inspector.
the nurses and the principals. urging
that they be extremely careful IN their
! lwatchfulne5s over the health of all he
children and to cooperate to the full.
est extert with the fhysicinne
Throughout the city and tho parents in
the care of the boys and girls.
II is a strict rule In tho Board Of
Education and throughout the .schcols
that when child appears with any
ailment thought 10 be at all suspicious
they arc immediately sent home. Aftc,
this has been done the schoo. authori.
ties no longer have Jurisdiction in tho
premises and the situation is then M
TO tho parents of sJch a child and thn
Family physician il he should be mott
fed. Whether this procedure was fol-
lowed at School No. 20 Is disputad
nut Superintendent Ward saws ho
| knew nothing about the situation
there until last Monday and then he
Immediately took steps which resulted
In the entire school being closed and
lfumigated.
Howard NJ. Frantz. secretary of the
Board of Health, said today their rec
crds show only eight cases of scarle,
fever reported by physicians amone
The children attending No. 23 School.
There is big discrepancy between
.hese figures and the "a cases the
school authorities have reported and
while some of the children involved
live beyond the city limits and are not
ftheretore recorded with the health de-
putmont, IL is said many others live
in town but the physicians in at
tendance have not notified the health
officials that their patients have tho
fever.
One city official stated this morning
that he has personal knowledge of n
family where two of the children are
suffering from scarlet fever for the
family physician has advised the par
ents Tat that is what ails them. vet
the house has not been placarded and
is not quarantined. All the cases re-
ported 10 the health board have been
pacarded and quarantined. In the
case referred TO the suppostion Is that
the attending physician has not re-
ported the two cases 10 the Board of
| Health for some reason.
Superintendent Wards letter TO the
medical inspector, nurses and school
principals will. If the instructions are
followed. make 1t practically impos-
sible for any disease to get a foothold
In any of the public schools in the
future and to spread among the boys
and girls as the scarlet fever has
spread through school No. 23. By
their careful supervision Of the ch,l-
dren and dismissal of those suffering
from any suspected disease and then
, tGelr cooperation with The parents
and family physicians it will not be
possible for any kind 3f Illness to be-
ccmo epidemic.
In this connection: however, the
school authorities ann the health
board officials say the parents and the
family physicians must also show a
spirit of cooperation. Some parents
have been found who refused In this
instance TO call in doctor when their
child was sent home H. They even
insisted that the child be allowed to
attend school, Some physicians refuse
70 admit the disease is scarlet fever
in any kind OF form and consequently
did not report cases coming TO their at
I fnnriaf, - f1r ha,
! However the present situation Is
now well IN hand. according to Secre-
tary Frnntz and there is no fear felt
/ OF further spread OF the fever.
School No. az has been fumigated but
I is closed and will not be opened until
/ January 3. The children who have
escaped the scarlet fever outbreak are
consequently enjoying a Christina
vacation which the boys and girls in
the other schools arc not having.