The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-16
596 CASES;16D DIE
Influenza Reports Make a Big
Jump Here.
Sixty-Three New Cases Listed
by Health Office.
LITTLE RUSSIA IS SUFFERING
Visitors at Emergency Hospital
Are Now Barred.
DR.. Clark Anxious To List More
Emergency Nurses.
LITTLE RUSSIA IS SUFFERING

1y diagnosed as Spanish influenza by
the attending physicians, the total
number of cases reported in the offices
of the Topeka health department row
stands at 596.
The total number of deaths due to
influenza is steadily growing. The
| sixteenth death was reported this
morning.
DIR. Thomas Metzger of oil Mon
roe street died late Tuesday night.
Doctor MetZger was sick for only
few days.
/ A local undertaken has reported the
death of Margaret Rangel, a Mexican
woman. Mrs. Loretta Wilson, 202
Monroe street. and Billy Murphy, 634
, Adams also died Tuesday night.
Many cases have been released but
| the force of assistants on duty in the
| public health offices has been so busy
! making up records and reports on new
| cases that they have not had time as
/ vet to compile any figures on tt e num-
| Der which has been released as re-
! covered, which will reduce the total
number of cases considerably.
| Stop Hiding Cases.
| While the number of cases reported
i,up to IL o'clock this morning, sixty
| three, was the largest report that has
been received on any one morning
since the outbreak of the epidemic.
! DR.. H. L. Clark, city health officer,
| says that this can not be taken as evil
| dence that the disease is spreading to
any greater extent than has been true
for the last three or four days. In his
| opinion the increased report received
this morning is partly due to the pub
| IIcat1on of the intended enforcement
of the law requiring that the public
health office be notified of all new
cases arising within the city unless the
practice of withholding new cases as
| they arise ceased at once
Doctor Clark says that in many in
| stances reports on people sick with
influenza have been withheld for vari-
Gus reasons. Some people felt that it
would force them to pay for medical
| attention which they could not afford
! Others feared that they would be at
once sent to the emergency hospital.
! where they were sure they would die
at once. The emergency hospital
says Doctor Clark. is prepared to give
the very highest grade of medical
| service and attention to all of its pa
| tlents. and they are far safer under
the care of the experienced attend
ants on duty al the hospital than they
would be in their own homes.
| Private Nurses Scarce.
1t is now almost impossible to obtain
! nurses for services at private resi-
, dences, so in order to obtain the ex-
! pert services of a trained nurse, it is
| absolutely necessary that the patient
| consent to enter the emergency hos
| pital. In order to afford the greatest
protection to the sick. and, still more
| important, to the ones not already in
fected. it is necessary that the city au-
| thOritihS have the knowledge of all
| cases within the city. Too many
cases were not being reported and re-
| mained source of constant danger
| to their neighbors and to the city at
| large.
tho =,
is sick, altho not dangerously so at
present, was reported. He goes out of
the house and attempts to mix with
his neighbors much to their distress
He was reported. This afternoon his
case will be investigated. If his in
tention to remain in his house until he
| has recovered is not guaranteed he
will be taken to the hospital whether
he desires it or not for this is within
the power of the public health auth
critics In their struggle to suppress
the ravages of the influenza.
Sixty-One Patients in Hospital.
/ This morning the emergency hos
pital was caring for sixty-one patients
Three were released. Three more
| were brought in to fill the places left
vacant. This afternoon six more cases
that have been reported as ready to
go to the hospital will probably be
taken there.
The publicity that has been given
the call for nurses, nursess aides and
other attendants desired for service
at the emergency hospital has COM
menced to produce results. The situa-
ton at the emergency hospital in re-
gard to the nursing staff was better
this morning than it has been any
day since the hospital was inaugu-
rated. Three graduate nurses were
on duty this morning. Several under
graduate nurses have been loaned to
the emergency hospital by various To-
cal hospitals. There have been a few
enrollments of people who have taken
the course in elementary hygiene and
home care of the sick.
i. More Are Needed.
However, the staff has not been or
| ganized to the entire satisfaction OF
the authorities. They still urge
women having the required training
to report for duty, either over phone
No. 1890 or S95. While these womer
!, may not all be placed on duty at once
| should the emergency grow it would
be necessary to have the assistance OF
many more nurses Immediately and i
. is the intention of the authorities tc
; make a list of women who may bt
called upon, outside of the regular
staff.
More space was opened up thi:
morning on the third floor of the no
tel building. a large room which hat
/ been used as a storage room was fitte(
: out with beds, cleaned up and mad,
perfectly sanitary, according to the re
quirements of the nurses and will b,
put into use this afternoon when tn,
patients who are expected there ar
rive.
Little Russia Suffers
! Inspectors working in the Russian
districts along Gordon street ant
around Sardou are having troubles o
their own. Their plea is for the as
I sistance of some one who can spea