American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-12-20
DOCTORS DISAGREE
ON INFLUENZA ISSUE
Public Health Officials Of United
States and Canada, Meeting in Chi
cage, Fail to Reach Definite Con.
illusions on Malady.

Lack of agreement on methods of
meeting the s~o-called influenza cpl
demic and lack of knowledge of the
malady itself continued to be prom
inently noticeable right up to the
four-day convention Of public health
officials of the United States and Can
ada which ended in Chicago Decem-
Der Ia. The influenza has been the
great overshadowing problem of this
gathering of the American Public
Health Association.
Arriving at a decision by a vote was
generally avoided by the health Off
Gals, but in a round-table conference
they did cast an informal ballot on
the question of closing the schools.
TIL question as put vas this:
"In the big cities, providing there
is good medical inspection, would you
close the schools in an influenza cpl
demic?" On the showing of hands
only a few went up for closing, while
a great many went up against the
proposition. The health officers pres
ent were plainly against closing in
such cases. Then the chairman put
the question of closing the schools in
big cities where the medical inspec-
ton was not considered good. He de-
clared the vote seemed to be about
even" Finally the question of clos
ing the rural schools was voted on.
Here again the chairman announced
it was IAN offset also" The chairman
of this round table meeting, DR. II. w.
Hill of Minneapolis. president of the
Minnesota State Public Health De-
partment, expressed his own view of
the situation in the following lang
uage:
The consensus of opinion l have
met with here and elsewhere is that
the a~dvisability of closing the schools
for the influenza does not exist
The question box brought out many
comments and remarks on methods
Of handling the influenza. The gath
ering dismissed the question of the
use of alcoholic liquors on the ground
that it related to treatment instead OF
prevention. and so was beyond the
scope of the association. The chair
however. observed prior to the rails
ing of this point, that the genral i'm
preston was that alcohol was bad al
any time in influenza treatment.
Relative to the use of the face mask
a doctor from the Cook County (Chl-
cago) Hospital declared that it seem
ed to him that the medical faculty nae
lost all control of its reason. II this
influenza organism is so small he
added. "as some calm it is, that yot
cannot see it with a microscope.
cannot see why it cannot go through
any mask. 1t would be like expecting
the bars in the Jail windows to keel
out the flies"
, The physician went On to say tina
l every one in the county hospital wa
4 masked at the beginning. not becaus
= they particularly regarded masking a
; good. but to "avoid the possibl
I charge of gross ignorance" The
we're all masked so heavily the
looked like mummies,' he said, ad
e ding that Is nurses and attendant
l had the influenza and then they dis
" carded their masks and had none {
S it. Il think this matter of h fac
e mask has been very much Overdone.
y said the doctor.
In the morning session a vigOrou
IT protest against the use of the fac
mask was made by DR.. James v
Inches. health commissioner of d.
d II oit. Michigan. He said they wei
"pure fakes" as a means Of haltin
Is influenza and declared that the clo'
% ing of motion picture theater
churches. etc. had not proved to |
of beneft.-Christian Science MOI
d itor.