DIPHTHERIA PREVALENT.

Shannon News, 19 September 1922, Page 2

DIPHTHERIA PREVALENT.

CARRIERS FOUND IN SCHOOLS. "As this disease is increasing in numbers .though fortunately, not in virulence, all over New Zealand, I think some definite steps should be taken,” said Sir James Wilson, chairman of the Palmerston Hospital Board at a meeting of that body yesterday. He stated that recently the bacteriologist visited ‘ the Feilding school, and swabbed the throats of 400 children, in order to ascertain if diphtheria? was in evidence. The result was that 15 children were found to be carriers of the complaint. It was a very serious matter. Diphtheria cases were always in the hospital by the dozen. The diphtheria wing was never empty. There were seven in at the moment, and there were a dozen the other day. These children at the Feilding school were riot suffering from diphtheria, but they were carrying the disease. It was just a question of what should be done, but he thought the Board should ask that the same procedure be taken in Palmerston North at the schools whenever there wa9 an outbreak.

Mr Homblow thought the Department of Health should be requested to send a bacteriologist to all the schools in the district whenever and wherever there might be an outbreak. The motion was carried.