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ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



THE TEACHER IN RELATION TO COMMUNICABLE 

 DISEASES OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. 



E. D. Walker, M. D., Litchfield, III. 



As stress is being laid more and more upon the school 

 as a center for effective public good, the writer wishes to 

 present a plan by which the school may be made a means 

 of materially reducing communicable diseases of school 

 children. 



One has only to consider some of the losses from this 

 source to realize the important community good in reducing 

 the number of casualties from infectious diseases. "If 

 knowledge now existing among well informed men in the 

 medical profession were actually applied in a reasonaole 

 way and to a reasonable extent, forty-two per cent of 

 persons in the U. S. who annually die of communicable 

 disease could be saved. ^" 



The estimated loss of life from infectious diseases con- 

 tracted in the school room, for a selected year, is as follows :^ 



(For the Registration Area) — 10 States. 



Colds, Bronch. and Pneum 5-9. 



Influenza (Not Epidemic Year) 5-9. 



Smallpox 5-9. 



Mumps 5-9. 



Tonsillitis and Diptheria, Croup... 5-9. 



Measles 5-9 . 



Whooping Cough 5-9. 



Scarlet Fever 5-9 . 



Meningitis 5-9. 



Totals 8306 2702 2470 



The financial loss, based on an Illinois estimate for an 

 influenza campaign, counting treatment $10, loss of time 

 $15, funeral $100, life at $3,000, apportions ages 5-9 at 

 $25,956,250; 10-14, $8,443,750 and 15-19, $7,718,750, ap- 

 proximating $42,000,000.3 



Based upon the foregoing three period school ages, the 

 per cent preventable, for the selected communicable di- 

 seases, follows: 5-14 years, colds, pneumonia and acces- 

 sory, 50%'; influenza, 50%; smallpox, tonsillitis and diph- 

 theria, 70%; measles, 40%; whooping cough, 40%'; scarlet 



1. This per' cent was computed by a chief with thirty (30) experts in health 

 data. 



Authority: 2. U. S. Mortality Statistics and causes of death for registration 

 area. 

 3. ni. Statistics for the State July 1, 1918, to June 1, 1919. 



