The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Restriction of Public As sembly Has Not Checked Spread of Disease Else
 where, Is Statement
COMPARATIVE FIGURES ON MORTALITY RATE
Nothing in Concrete Form to Indi- cate That Disease Is Spread ing Further, States the
 Health Officer

That the spread of influenza has not been checked to any considerable ex- tent by the restriction Of public as- lsembly, wherever it has been done, is the opinion of pr. j. D. Bowling, city his deductions are based on actual re- ports from such localities. In a state ment issued last night Dr. Bowling gives some comparative figures on the prevalence of the disease during the last two months. which indicate de- crease in the number of deaths as- cribed to the epidemic. He also gives figures of the corresponding month last year. The statement follows:
 Reports of ITO cases of influenza were received at the health office to- day. Fourteen burial permits were is- sued for deaths from pneumonia and influenza At least three of these deaths occurred as far back as the middle of last week.
 ''The total deaths from influenza and pneumonia in the city of Birmingham for the month of October, 1918, were 4o7, as against 32 during the corrs- SPoHdtii6 inoHtA year 1T VI tho month of November, 1918, there were 23S deaths from the two diseases, as against 6S for November, 1917. Since influenza has been recognized as epi- demic and the majority of deaths caused by influenza are given as pneumonia, it has become a universal custom to include pneumonia deaths as deaths from influenza as a primary or pre- disposing cause. This was not true year, and the deaths from pneumonia during that period were no doubt prop erly stated as being lobar pneumonia or specific pneumonia without influ- enza as factor or predisposing cause.
 NUMBER OF DEATHS
 Reckoning that corresponding number of deaths from pneumonia this year were of the above type it is only fair to deduct these deaths from those chargeable to influenza. On this basis then, the influenza deaths during Octo- Der and November, this year, would be 375 and 165, respectively. It was com monly stated and in response to wild rumors many persons believed that dur ing the latter week of November the
 
 a much greater extent than before, but there was nothing In concrete form to indicate that such was the case, and events would tend up to now to indicate that our interpreta- tion was not without basis.
 While it is seen that the deaths for November, including all pneumonia deaths as influenza. were less by 174 than the previous month, if 1t Is fair haf 91 daathg n Octohar and 6S in November were from lobar or specific pneumonia, then in Novem- Der there were 210 fewer deaths from influenza than the previous month Dur Ing the latter week of November there were 72 deaths as against S5 for the last week in October, when it was agreed by all that the epidemic was During the first week of December there were 62 deaths from and influenza as against 72 for the last week of November.
 Grouping all pneumonias as deaths from influenza from September 29 to December I, the mortality rate from influenza in the city of Birmingham is S.36 per 1000 population.
 CLOSING OF SCHOOLS
 Tn the city of Chicago where per- haps the most deliberate and elaborate measures were adopted to prevent the spread of influenza, the mortality Tate Is stated as four per 1000. The re- strictions in Chicago did not include the closing of schools, In some other large cities where equal restrictions and drastic regulations were used, in- cluding the closure of all schools, the has been even higher, rang ing up to seven per 1000 population
 There Is growing tendency to- ward the belief that epidemics of influ- l enza control themselves. and that the l operation of general measures such l as restrictions on normal activities ] exert but little influence on its spread. | This view is given credence in the ' statement from Surgeon General Blue | published today.
 There Is in our opinion nothing so | Tar on paper to indicate that restrct- | ng places of public assembly and par | tial closing has influenced the situa- | lion to any considerable extent, wher- | ever it has been done.~~ This has been ] recognized in Europe where the disease l aas been raging with unusual severity. |
 Tn the city of Paris, where the peo- | ole are accustomed to consider caro- i fully matters affecting the efficiency l of the people as whole. they have not | closed any school so long as 25 per | cent of the students were present The | gauge mask is in general use and the ] he people are strongly urged to wear ! f as A means of protection.'