New-York tribune., 1918-09-28
Health Director Copeland
Denies Condition Has
Reached Epidemic
City Gives $4,000
To Combat Disease
Thousands of Circulars
Tell Proper Methods to
Prevent Spanish Grip

reported within twenty-four hours IN
greater New York, Health Commission
.. Royal s. Copeland went before the
Board OF Estimate yesterday and was
granted sn emergency fund Of $4,000
20 aid him to prevent the disease from
becoming epidemic here The situa-
ton is admittedly serious. but the Com
missioner declines to become alarmed
laying tha. the condition is not an
epidemic so long as the number oil
cases reported remains at a low ratio
compared with the population.
There were twenty deaths from IN
i'uenza during the day and seven fatai
cases of broncho pneumonia, any or all
Of which may have had their inception
n influenza.
Every effort is being put forth by the
authorities to stamp out the disease be
fore the arrival of severe weather.
With the coming Of rains and chilling
winds. pneumonia increases under nor
nal conditions, and with an influenza
epidenltc sweeping The country. II is
realized that the situation is likely 80
become very grave.
Quarantine Is in Eject
Dr.. Copeland says all cases in the
city are being quarsntined as rapidly
as reported and the quarantine rules
are rigdlv enforced. The city has had
.OOS cases Of the disease since Jul l,
including those who have recovered,
The Commissioned points 20 the fact
that $4,000 cases would be necessary
in the city before the disease could
compare in severity with the epidemic
now raging in the State OF NIassa-
chusetts.
The emergency appropriation voted
by the Board Of Estimate will go large
IS toward additional printed propa-
ganda against the influenza. Part of
il will be utilized to engage additional
nurses and medical inspectors in the
schools and hospitals, and also to OBJ
tain more ARCHAEOLOGICAL aid in the
city laboratories. In the latter bureau
Dr. Parke, the director, and MS aids
have suspended every other activity
in order to concentrate their labors or,
the influenza infection.
DIR. Parke Making Headway
A report submitted by DR.. Parke
shows that he is bending every energy
toward establishing the identity of a
strange bacillus which has appeared in
the study Of cultures of the disease.
He said yesterday he was not prepared
TO announce anything definite, but it is
predicted that some positive results
will develop shortly.
The list Of new cases shows 266 OF
them among civilians, while eight were
men in uniform and thirty-cight were
cplgrants taken from vessels. Brook
Ign suffered heaviest in the list Of
fatalities resulting from influenza. that
borough reporting ten deaths. Man
haitian reported nine and Queens one.
AT the Kingston Avenue Hospital
there are a total of 1S1 cases of in
fuenza under treatment and in Willard
Parker Hospital 352. Four Of the
deaths were reported from those two
institutions.
Public Places to Remain Open
Commissioner Copeland yesterday re-
heated his determination to keep the
schools, theatres and churches Of this
city open. He believes that child in
school is safer from the dangers of in
lection than while playing in the
streets More than 900 900 circulars
prepared by DR.. Copeland and Dr. Har-
ris. chief Of the Bureau of Communi-
cable Diseases, were placed in the
hands of school children yesterday, and
the campaign Of informal talks in the
classrooms and assembly halls was in
augurated- Many physicians have Of
Tered thelt services &C The department
Of Heath in mbating the advance OF
the disease
The circulars issued TO school chill
dfen touch upon the danger of infec-
ilon IN coming into coNt &C ,yttA the
spray OF = sncezc or cough from an
ether person who may be suffering
from the disease They are warned TO
avoid using anything which another
has used, including pencils, in the
schooirocms. Kissing - mentioned as
possible means of spreading the in
f@-- M
Whole Family Is Strieen
t'ewds are dangerous. and oyereat.
ne. followed by exposure to wet and
eclemen' weather. is to he avoided
because 81 tonds 20 lessen the body'e
noNer OF resistance to- the disease
d. weeping" and shaking % RUGS in
ruhNc places are described as a menace
'o the health OF all person. in the
csn.ty and should not be tolerated.
SpecIa emphasis ie placed on the
rltal point that those who must expcc-
orate, sneeze or cough should do go
only INTO handkerchief in order to
protect those who may be in the path
Of the spray.
During Thursday night and yester-
dey members of family Of FIVE. Mrs.
Josephine Profeta and four children
were taken from their home, GIT Fifth
Avenue, Brooklyn. to the Kingston
Avenue Hospital, all suffering from
spanish Influenza They are reported
70 be seriously i'll.
Fifty Soldiers in Hospital
Fifty soldiers on guard duty a, the
quartermaster's depot and submarine
shipyards at Newark, have been seized
With the disease and removed to a
Hoboken hospital for treatment The
War Department, because OF the pre-
valence of the disease at Fort Thomas
Kentucky, cancelled the entarinment
order for limited service men from
Trenton. who were to have departed
for camp yesterday.
The death from influenza Of a Brook
lyn soldier, Private ". A. Shimmins,
s3 Company, 23d Battalion, is reported
from Camp Syracuse. All the Syracuse
hospitals report lamentab!e condition
OF overcrowding because Of the many
cases Of the disease
One Of the serious results Of the
'pidemic is the great increase in the
army death rate in homie quarters. It
g believed AT the Office OF the Surgeon
General at Washington. that there are
evidences that the strength Of .h.
epidemic is beginning to weaken.
Whether tins will prove 70 be fart
will depend largely upon the weather
ccndlticns, a. the continued rain and