42649: Diphtheria epidemic in Uig

Excerpt from Stornoway Gazette and West Coast Advertiser

LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS

Friday, December 29, 1939

EPIDEMIC – An epidemic of sore throats among school children in the Lochcroistean school district caused parents to withdraw the pupils from the school some days before the Christmas vacation was due.

In September last there was an outbreak of sore throats in the district and twelve children were off school simultaneously and there was one death. Diphtheria was not verified except in one case. These children returned to school towards the end of November and ten days later there was another epidemic. At first three children were off and then four more cases occurred, and there was a second death – Murdo MacDonald, 3 Geshader, aged 7, who passed away on the 16th December. Since then more cases have occurred and last week parents withheld their children from school.