1893-1894 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

182 AIM'KNDIX.
])]. Murdocli: ''I would like to ask Dr. Battle what
measures ought to be taken in a school-liouse to prevent
the germs arising from the sputum?"
Dr. Battle: "In answering that I can only say that there
are many little things of great danger that escape us, such
as a boy or girl using one another's slate. This is a common
way of getting the germs from one to another; and
the habit of swapping pencils and chewing gum should, of
course, be avoided, and the school-room ought to be gone
over with a cloth wet with a solution of bichloride of
mercury
every week or two. Then, I think, that there should
be notliiug on the floor that could not be removed easilv.
The school-room should never be swept or the dust disturbed
while the pupils are in the house. They are the
chief things that we should avoid."
Dr. George Thomas: "It seems to me, Mr. President, that
there is one thing Dr. Battle might have added to that; that
is ventilation and sunlight. The children are crowded
necessarily, and therefore the ventilation should be specially
provided for. Sunlight, too, adds not only to the general
brightness of the room, but it
prevents the growth of these
germs. Then there should be a sufiicient number of
recesses, or recreation moments, during the day to let these
rooms be thoroughly aired. It looks to me that without
much disturbance the rooms might be thoroughly aired
once e'verv hour."
Dr. Lewis : "Excuse me for getting up again, ladies and
gentlemen, but it seems to me that there is more danger in
the bed-room than in tlie school-room; and we should
always have plenty of fresh air, both in the bed-room and
in the school-room."
Dr. Battle:
"I will read a little extract from a paper published
a few days ago in New York. It tells of a Medical
Congress in France in August just passed.
After going on