The Penn's Grove record., 1923-12-14
To Use SChiCk Test
Upper Penns Neck To Have All
Pupils Tested For Diphtheria

At meeting of the township COM
mittee in the Township Hall on Tues
day evening the Board of Health was
given the authority to proceed with
the plans for the testing of all pupils
as to their immunity from diphtheria
and those who test susceptible will be
treated with the toxin-antitoxin as
guard against the disease in Upper
fenns Neck Township.
There has been much agitation Civ
en- this proposed movement for the
past two months by various organic
ations and Boards in Carney Point and
the Township and when several citiz-
ems appeared before the township COM
mittee on Tuesday that body readily
saw the benefits to be derived from
this test and gave the board of Health
the necessary authority to proceed.
The Board with the assistance of rep
resentatives of the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company and under the
direction of the State Board of Health
will proceed to make the arrangements
for the thorough execution of this
work, for it must be done on a hun
dred percent basis to be of any mater
ial value to the community. Form
letters will be sent out to all parents
or guardians in the near future as it
is necessary to have the written con-
cent. 1t is hoped that all the parents
and guardians will cooperate by giving
their approval, for nothing but good
can be derived from the effectual
execution of the test.
1t is the general opinion that if
one case of diphtheria is prevented the
test has been worth while, both from
a pecuniary and social point of view.
The work is done in the school
building by a District Officer assisted
by local physician. The test inject
ions are given to a maximum of 500
pupils a day. The enrolment of the
Carney Point Schools being approx
imately 750 the test could be admin
istered within two days. One week
later the pupils are examined and
those who show susceptibility to dip
liberia are given their first dose of
toxin -antitoxin. Those who prove i'm
mune receive no further treatment.
One week after the first injection the
second is administrated and the third
a week later.
After school hours other children
MAY De Drought " CIlS oCiloOl W liehNC
the test or treatment given, however.
children under school age and over
six months of age are given the treat
ment without the preliminary test.
There can be no i'll effects from ad-
ministering the test of treatment and
there is no expense to the parent; the
least they can do is to give their con-
sent for the effectual execution of the
test which is for the social good and
the the health of the community.
The cost of giving the test is two
cents per individual, while the cost of
the toxin -antitoxin is six cents per
dose or 18 cents for the three doses.
The aggregate cost varies between $25
and $40 for 500 pupils, so that the cost
to the Township should not exceed S75,
which has been appropriated from the
Board of Health budget.
The test is being introduced by
Boards of Health in practically all the
large cities and is becoming more or
less statewide. 1t is truly philan-
thropic movement and its adoption by
the Township Committee is worthy of
commendation. Having taken the inl-
tial step there is little doubt but what
the parents will give their whole
hearted cooperation.