The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-21
SILENCE OR PUBLICITY

" INFLUENZA IS caused by specific infection which though K invisible, is direct and certain in its results any thing could be- There certain for the prevention the disease certain for its ameoraon and The preventive reach directly the individual persons They his habits The disease is crowd disease is dis smnaed readily in the presence of crowds and by coughing, sneezng and sitting of individuals.
 Give the thousands of individuals to suppose that there any particular danger fail to conduct the ing campaign of publicity what will happen?
 Many individuals not shocked into attenton will decline the necessary precautions perhaps will not know what precautions necessary.
 Will this not unnecessary spread the disease such occurred in Sroudsburg Penna and in Consve Connecticut where considerably than half the popula tons stricken and the death rate was very high.
 The other to declare unmistakaby the presence of the disease the number of cases and the number of deaths Fear of the disease and the precautions be taken ncu . caed with unswerving diligence.
 Is it not likely that in this way of the community be converted the necessity of will be led to preca on and brought to desire to do nothing that will spread the infection?
 little thought will almost any person to under stand that knowledge of the of the disease does convey it. Men not seized with chis with violent head aches and with high temperature because they know that disease exists but because they with it. The pneumonia follows influenza product fear but an after-resut of the malady.
 This epidemic should not be met with silence It should be concealed, under the silly pretense that sick if nobody says that he is sick
 The influenza has manifested in most of the cities and United States There is abundant experimental evidence upon which to base conclusions about the best thing to do
 It will be discovered that the communities in which there the least publicity had rule the most Where nobody warned until it too lae few took the sary precautions In many such paces which began the theory that knowledge is dangerous thing became sary when the hour very ae to these remedies publicity and erven warning which, applied earlier would have saved much suffering life and economic loss.
 In Illinois there than in any other state fail to tell the people just what likely to happen and just what they ought to do The result an increase that became necessary to suspend public blaze not only in the city of Chicago but in the entire stae
 In Bridgeport publicity has been adopted from the begin hing The people have been frankly instructed is probable that Bridgeport is in better situation today than othe city in Connecticut because relatively people in Bridge port are taking heed; minding the rules
 Compared with Waterbury, New Britain Meriden an many smaller places Bridgeport is in splendid shape.
 Generally speaking the communities in which there ha been the most publicity in Connecticut are Hartford New Ha and Bridgeport and these three relatively have fered less than most other communities
 The question in issue in these places is whether ther should not have been publicity more precauon