The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-23
Total Deaths in Topeka Now,
Number Fifty-Feur.
New Cases Continue To De-
crease, Reports Show.
CONTINUE TO Be CAUTIOUS
That Is Warning All Should
Heed, Clark Says.
Greatest Danger Lies in Over
Optimism Now.

SIX more deaths from influenza to- |
day bring the total number of deaths
, up to "a From Sunday up to noon
today influenza has claimed % victims. |
The death rate during the last week
has been considerably higher than a
any time since the first outbreak of the
disease in Topeka.
Deaths, bringing the total up to 81
since the disease became prevalent In
| Topeka, were:
Don Mulvane, 315 East Sixth.
Oscar Mccall. Taylor tract.
Pearl Kaberiine, 527 Sardou.
Katherine Kaberline, 557 Sardou.
/ Nicholas Lanaker, 1e3 Locust.
'Ch>.les E. Asher. 1906 North Locust
! Reports in the office of the public
health department show a total of Al
3. new cases up to IL o'clock today
! Twenty of these cases were reported
! by one doctor.
gin to show a, decrease, says Doctor
! Clark. people are 'still dying from the
disease and new cases are coming In.
| While there is sufficient justification
to consider the outlook favorable the
| danger is by no means passed.
| In the opinion of the city authori
ties the greatest danger now lies in
people assuming a too optimistic out
look on the proposition and running
| into needless danger. The chance
that the epidemic may gather strength
| as it did n Kansas City and go to
| work with almost redoubled energy is
always among the possibilities. This"
isays DR.. H. L. Clark. lis just what
| every effort will be made to avoid in
| Topeka
Keep Closed Next Week.
There is no indication that the clos
.
next week. New cases are arising too
! fast and too many deaths are occur
! ring to assume that this will be at all
| possible. Doctor Clark says that thea
/ ter owners, who are hit harder than
men in any other line of business, have
i not attempted in any way to ohStruct
| the closing proposition, nor have they
1 made needless complaints against the
order. Theater owners feel that par
ticu1arly stringent orders during the
first of the epidemic will stamp it out
| more effectually than 1axer methods
which would in all proba bilities result
in a tieup of more considerable length.
The same thing is true of the schools.
| ''I do not want to keep the schools
and business establishm ents closed
any longer than necessary" says DR..
H. l.. Clark, but every possible pre-
caution must be taken in order to
stamp out the epidemic. There is
grave danger in becoming too enthu-
siastic over the fact that reports on
new cases are decreasing. This must
be avoided. The danger is still
great"
Only Three Negro Deaths.
Only three deaths have occurred
among the negro population Of the
city. This is a good record. 1t is not
any indication that negroes are i'm
mune, Doctor Clark says, but simply
means that the disease has not gotten
a good start among them and that
they should avoid having meetings or
other gatherings which would tend to
allow it to get start among them
Extra precautions exerted for a little
time longer will no doubt greatly re-
duce the possible death rate among
them.
The conditions prevalent among the
Russian population of the city have
| been terrific. The disease gained an
awful start among them before they
| realized how serious the malady was.
The same conditions have existed
. among the Mexican population of the
city. 1t is possible that their lack
of knowledge of the language and
modern sanitary methods has had a
great deal to do with the disease
spreading more quickly among them.
City Releases Patients.
This morning a report came in to
: the public health department that two
: boys, members of the Santa Fe tele-
, graph school had decided they were
: we'll and left the house which was un-
5 der quarantine. Upon Investigation
it was found that they had not return
: ed to the school. DIR. H. L. Clark is
sued instructions to the school, which
: have also been issued to other estab-
fishments, that persons who had been
away from business on account of hav-
I ing the influenza were not permitted
to return to business activities until
l they had obtained a certificate from
: the city health department permitting g
: them to do SO. At the same time Doc
tor Clark also suggested that it would
be good idea to require all the tele-
graphic operators to wear the gauze
masks while at work.
In connection with this many in
quiries come in to the public health
department asking how to make these
masks. The masks are made of anti
septic gauze. cut to measure about
/ ficient. say medical authorities, for the
= prevention of breathing the germs
l Strings should be sewed to the corners
{ | to be tied at the back of the head
e when the mask has been placed so a.
| to cover the nose and mouth. People
e are not particularly anxious to appeal
n wearing the masks, but to those whf
e fear the disease and those who arr
e very prudent, the wearing of the mask
r says Doctor Clark, will render then
i practically immune as long as the!
0 keep the mask on. None of the at
Y tendants at the emergency hospita
r who have been provided with th'
= masks at all times have contracted tn
: disease.
There were only So patients at tn,
= emergency hospital this morning. Thi
: is the smallest mum ber that has beel
e under the care of the expert attend
: ants at the hospital since the first few
: days of the epidemic when the fore
r was not large enough to permit bring
= ing in all the cases that were thel
iready to be entered at the hospital.