History of an outbreak of ophthalmia in a good class school : with remarks / by Simeon Snell.

  • Snell, Simeon, 1851-1909.
Date:
1894
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of an outbreak of ophthalmia in a good class school : with remarks / by Simeon Snell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    was follicular ophthalmia, leading to granular eyelids, that it was propagated by contagion, and that atmospheric and other influences exerted no effect upon it. Further, he deprecated sending the boys to their homes, as they would be sources of infection to their friends, and because it would not be possible to secure proper treatment in their homes. It would be necessary for some of the boys at least to re- main over the vacation for treatment. The committee decided to act upon this advice. It was a matter of regret to me that an opinion so opposite to the one that had only a few days before been given by me in consul- tation with the medical officers to the school, after repeated examination by us of the whole of the boys, as well as of the other inmates, and after an acquaintance with the whole of the epidemic, should have been given and accepted without a conference as to the grounds on which our advice had been based over and above the bare statements in my reports. In a circular issued to the parents the committee at this time represent Mr. Hutchinson as saying, All parents de- ciding to remove their boys, either permanently or for the winter vacation, should be informed that however apparently alight the symptoms, it is imperatively necessary that adequate measures be patiently carried out. The disease is very liable to lapse into a chronic form, and it is at all stages contagious. If uncured it may easily cause weakness and irritability of the eyes which may last for years. These con- siderations are of much weight in support of the recommen- dation that all the boys affected should remain in the city, where they could have good professional treatment, together with specially adapted methods of instruction. No boy suffering from the disease in any form should be sent to any other school, nor, indeed, be permitted to mix with others without precautions. From this time my connection with the body of scholars ceased, though up to the time of writing, by means of boys and other inmates of the establishment who have been from time to time under my immediate observation, and through the kind courtesy of my friends Drs. Jallandand Evelyn, my knowledge of subsequent events has been tolerably complete. Kecently, also, 1 have had another opportunity of exammmg several of the boys and the school premises. It appears, then, that the division into classes, as men- tioned in my reports, was adhered to. Those boys who were well were drafted from the school house into another build- ing, and isolated. Those affected were kept in the old school buildings for treatment, which consisted principally of quinine lotion and applications of solutions of nitrate of silver and chloride of zinc. Many of the boys were at once removed by their parents, and others returned home at the Christmas vacation. At this latter time, those remaining under treatment, about thirty in number, were transferred to Scarborough. An hotel was taken for them; each boy was provided with a separate bedroom, and the treatment was continued. School reopened in the end of January, ihe new boys, or those who had been at home, went back to the school house. The others remained at Scarborough. Some of the bovs who returned from home with certificates were nevertheless rejected by Dr. Evelyn, whose opinion as to their unfitness was fortilled by that of Dr. Tempest Anderson, who had from time to time seen several of those ailected.