The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, May 4, 1909. “IMPETIGO CONTAGIOSA.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 456, 4 May 1909, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, May 4,1909. “IMPETIGO CONTAGIOSA.”

Thk closing of a Wairarapa country school recently was determined by the local committee, because the children of two families recently arriving in the district appeared at school with eruptions on their faces. Quite a scare was caused, and, although subsequent investigations showed that the disease was extraordinarily contagious, it was not really serious. A lengthy letter on the subject of the outbreak was read at the Wellington Education Board’s meeting on Thursday from Dr. Frengley (district health officer), who reported that the disease which appeared was impetigo contagiosa. “ While it may be noted that a generic and sufficiently explanatory word for the causation of this somewhat startlingly titled disease is simply “Di-r-t,” continued the communication, “yet it must be remembered that the cleanest children of the most careful parents may contract the disease. The remedy is very simple. It may be summed up thus ; Soap, water, and a scrubbing brush, and the application to the sores themselves of some antiseptic ointment.” The doctor added that there was just as little justification for closing the school as if similar action was taken because of an outbreak of colds in the head. Affected children should be kept away from schools, and the use of a common school towel prohibited meanwhile. He suggested that extracts from his letter might be circulated amongst the teachers in order to prevent further scares such as occurred at Karori recently by a little boy answering to the absence of a school-fellow by saying: “Please, sir, he has small-pox.” On investigation the doctor found “ impetigo contagiosa,”