Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-08
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CLOSED BECAUSE
OF SCARLET FEVER
Continued from rAsc

Theeo ngurce arc greatly at vart-
ancc With the nguree reported by the
public school authorities. Last Friday,
according to their records. there wero
1877 cascs OF scarlet fever among tho
school Children OF the city. However,
this was not claimed by them TO be
omcial and Superintendent David A.
Ward thought the health board figures
should be accepted ms the Official re-
port. Tho discrepancy between the
reports OF tho two departments is ex-
planned In several ways,
| In the f,rst place the teachers have
been sending homo children whom they
suspected OF having tho fever and re-
porting such canes. In many instances
II is known no physician has been
summoned TO attend to these [nildren
Tor ono cause or another. Cense-
ouentiy such cases ard not reported
TO the health board and they have no
record Of them. In other cases where
children arc cent homo and physi-
clans have been called tho doctor
does not think II Ia scarlet fever and
therefore does not report Il TO tho
health authorities rs such although
the school authorities get n report as
cf another case of the fever. Many
doctors are known to maintain that
tho present outbreak is not scarlet
fever at all but is only what they
term n stomach rash.
On the other hand neither the Board
OF Health nor the Board of Educa-
tion has received any report OF the
existence OF scarlet fever In any OF
the parochial or private schools where
az Il IL almost certain some patients
must have been among the children
attending these schools.
Superintendent Ward stated this
|, morning that he had been IN communi-
cation with the principals Of all the
; public schools and ordered them closed
and his orders had been compiled
with. The closing order applies tc
, tho High School the same az TO any
, Of the othcrs The Board OF Health
employees Will start sometime durlns
, the day TO fumigate these buildings
, One case OF scarlet fever has devcl.
/, opcd NJ the Delaware Hospital. Tn,
, patient is one OF the nurses employed
! there. Tho hospital management mad,
!. a request OF the Board of Health yes
. terdsy for permission TO remove tn,
patient elsewhere, but the health OF
ncials felt that she would be giver
!, better care and attention at the hos
|. ritsl than she could get any othe
!. place snd they declined the request
The young woman has been isolate,
y and there Is not thought to be an,
y danger OF n spread OF the fever amonl
the other patients in the institution.
Closing Of the Schools.
2. The question OF tho health OF til
j. public school children came up at tn
o School Board session last night, whe
. James r. Chandler advised the othe
j. members that he had been in toucl
h with the health authorities relative {
q the fumisation Of the schools and h
did not feel the school janitors an
other employees were equal 10 the tss
~ doing this fumigating. He sug
gestcd that ~ it met with the approvs
Of tho board the health authorities b
permitted 90 take charge OF the Situa
4, ton and do tho fumisating them
II selves. lie said they could advise III
n school board when they were throug
40 the schools could be reopened. o
his motion the superintendent. Davi
- A. Ward was directed to advise n
health authorities 10 this effect.
There was some discussion as {
why the former school board did Il
own fumigating and IL was explaine
,o that much time would have been 10.
A. because the health officials could N,
!, always do g at once and sometime
the schools would have to be close
for three and four days.
i. Ellwood Souder. president OF ii
board, told OF a complaint he receive
Yesterday from a man who said b
daughter had contracted scarlet few,
~ from another child with whom 81
sat IN school No. IS. lie thought the
=, should close all the schools If nece
Ia sary and do all they could 10 suppre
ot the scarlet fever.
Mr.. Stradley said he did not want
~ pose as an larmist but he thougl
'e all the schools should be closed al
" fUmigsted. lie mentioned complain
=, that had come 20 him from ira
cd parents about their children contrac
~ ing scarlet fever IN the schools. /
ne moved that the superintendent be &
OF rected 10 secure complete records fro
H. the Board OF Health as to the nur
~ her of scarlet fever cases In the CT
ks and II he thought conditions wa
x ranted IL 10 close all the schools.
This motion was not seconded al
ne Dr. Washburn explained that In /
oe opinion Il placed too much respon:
A.. hility upon the superintendent wher
IN. as the school board itself shou
shoulder this responsibility. He 50
ne he believed the schools should
ng closed but the president OF the Boa
e's OF Health did not think IL eypedient
n enforce the closing Of the moving p
turo houses. churches and other plac
OF public gathering and bases his re
sons for this on the ground that
his opinion no epidemic exists, ths
isve been no serious cases OF the d
ms ease. not a single death from il a
no serious results and he also thoue
Ia. t. useless 10 close the schools VIII
s.- other public gathering places were
RI lowed 70 remain open.
,at Mr.. Strsdley withdrew his orgil
for motion and then moved that +;
m Board OF Education order al! the pl
Mr. lic schools closed for one week a
red that the Board OF Health be ash
the 20 fiunlgate all OF the buildings.
Ing Mr.. Chandler could not see the
nv cess.ty for closing the schools WI
there is no epidemic for Il thro
the the children on the street in the G
ex- and leaves the private schools op
ata However the motiqn prevailed wi
cut further discussion and Super