Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-25
|NF[UENzADEATHS
REACH Low LEVEL
twenty-five Is Record in
District for Last 24-Hour
Period.
PREDICT STEADY DECLINE

twenty-five oeAtuS A1oM AAA1~SAse~
were reported to the health depart
ment for the twenty-four-hour period
ending at noon today. This shows
decrease Of twenty-seven deaths as
compared with the previous period
ending at noon yesterday. when the
death list totaled forty-nine. DR..
Fowler. District health officer. ex-
pressed the opinion that the death list
will show q substantial falling OF to-
morrow and a steady decline there
after.
Four hundred and eighty-four new
cases of influenza were reported by
the health department for the twenty
four hours ending at noon today. This
compared with the previous period,
when the figures were 3o6;
This increase is not taken as sig
nificant, for the reason that the health
authorities handling the situation are
advised by the local physicians treat
ing the cases and by the physicians
Of the United States public health
service working in conjunction with
the health authorities that the new
cases now developing are of the mild
est type, compared with cases report
ed week ago.
Doctors Catch Up on Reports.
An explanation in part for tho In
crease in the number of new cases
reported today is that many physi-
clans sending in cards reporting new
cases say that for the first time since
the epidemic started in September
they have had an opportunity to clean
up their books and report all cases
physicians include in today's report
cases treated week ago, or more.
DR.. Charles v. Herdliska. one of
the men in charge of the Webster
School relief station. expressed the
Columbia made the best record Of
any city in the country in stamping
out the epidemic. This he attributes
to the work Of Drs. Mustard and
Harlason of the public health serv-
ice. and the systematic method OF
transportation under the direction of
Lieut.. Howard S. Fisk.
More Automobiles Needed.
More automobiles are needed in
to the patients. The health officials
of the District are highly apprecia-
tive of the generous manner in which
the bureau of aircraft production has
responded to the call for automobiles:
The bureau has placed fifteen cars at
the disposal of Lieut.. Fisk These cars
are driven nights and Sundays by
enlisted men. after they get through
with their regular days work. The
cars were obtained through the eff
drove one of the cars himself and aid
ed in the work at headquarters.
Big Decrease in Deaths.
Seven deaths for the twenty-four
hours ending at noon today were re-
ported from the emergency influenza
hospital. DR.. ]. G. Wilson of the public
health service, who Is in charge. is well
satisfied that the District OF Columbia
now has the disease under control.
There were twenty-four new patients
admitted to the hospital yesterday and
twenty-one others were discharged. The
hospital now has 260 patients. making
IA total of 326 since it was organized.
Deaths at the institution have been
thirty-six.
While there are Is nurses and 11s
aids at the emergency hospital. more
help is needed.
Want Treasury System Extended.
So great has been the success of the
Treasury Department. through the
Red Cross, under the personal direc-
giving relief to employees of that de-
partment, that a request has been
made to extend the work to the sick
of all government departments.
The system under which the Treas
ury Department is working is simple.
A modern card system with a record
OF the sick is kept in the general COM
mittee's Office. When a case is re-
ported one Of the volunteers from the
department visits the person i'll and
learns what aid. If any. is desired.
Hot meals are sent out three times q
day to the sick and convalescent from
the kitchen at the old Emergency Hos
pital. at D street and Ohio avenue
northwest, where the meals are pre-
pared under the direction Of experts