SICKNESS IN SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18662, 19 March 1924, Page 8

SICKNESS IN SCHOOL.

CHILDREN AT PT. CHEVALTER. CAUSE BEING INVESTIGATED PUPILS DISMISSED MEANWHILE. The primary school at Point Chevalier has been temporarily closed thiougn thcs joint action of the Health Department j and the Education Board, owing to the j outbreak among the scholars of a form of j sickness, the nature and cause of which j have not yet been ascertained. On Moi> j day about 20 of the scholars had to be j sent home, owing to seizures with diarr- j hoea and vomiting, and some of them j fainting. ' Two possible causes of the outbreak J are suggested. One is that the sufferers j have been disturbed internally by paint- j ing operations which are in progress, : The second theory is that the trouble is i due to the condition of the school swimming pool. When Dr. Boyd, of the J Health Department, went out to investi- j gate the matter, he found that the water j in the pool was in an offensive state, and j was informed that it had not been | changed for a fortnight. Dr. Boyd gave j instructions that the bath should be j emptied at once, and the basin cleaned , out. The suggestion in this connection [ is that the disabled children, in their j swimming exercise, may have swallowed j water which r in its turbid condition, lias j affected them. j Bacteriological investigations are being j made, and it is hoped that within a day j or two the cause of the illnesses will be | definitely ascertained. There is no evidence j of any similar outbreak in any other city j or suburban school. j