The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-31
SAYS INFLUENZA Is
SPREAD IN HOMES
DIR. Copeland Defends Decision
Not to Close Schools
and Theatres.
EXPLAINS HIS REASONS
Says Mortality Was Greater
Among Children Under Five
Than Among Those Over.

Or. Royal s. Copeland. Health Conf
missioner. says III the New York Medical
Journal in a general survey Of the i'm
fiuenza epidemic that the disease is one
which SIS spread to a large degree by
contact In the home" He points out
that physicians "see the disease spread
from one member to all other members
In the same family in a way which
would Seem clearly to Indicate contact
in the home as the distinct cause"
1T IL WELL" said DIR. Copeland, that
It be emphatically recorded that the at
titude of the Health Department with
respect to the closing of schools the
aires and other places Of public assembly
Is the result of study and elaboration
which were conducted with an anxious
regard TO do that which was best for
the city as a whole.
Such eminent authorities as Charles
". Chaplin. william Fl. WEIGH. Milton J.
Rosenau, Victor c. Vaughan. as we'll as
several of the prominent members OF
this society, have emphatically Endorsed
the attitude OF the department with re-
spect to its decision as to schools and
theatres. II requires courage to assume
such an attitude in the face OF opinion
which n n9t based upon authority or
study.
Children Under Hardest HIT.
1T is worthy Of note that the cities
which enforced the most rigid closing
orders for theatres, schools. churches
and other public assemblies failed to ex-
perience any marked reduction in the
prevalence of this disease. except in one
or two INSTANCES, where the closing order
went into effect at or about the time
when the decrease was unrelated to any
activity of the health departments OF
those cities.
ut Is amazing to find that the NOR
tally among children from to Is years
Of age Is almost half that OF children
under 5 years OF age. Our control OF
such children who go to school secures
them a degree OF safety impossible II
they were allowed on the streets. Our
rigid school medical inspection of the
children who daily attend and Of those
who return after absence: our preven-
ton of assembling of children in the
Fairgrounds: the opportunity that we
have to educate these children through
the school teachers and to educate their
parents In turn-all these are advan-
tages which are OF overwhelming i'm
portance and Justify the stand which
the Health Department has taken.
LAS to closing the theatres. moving
picture shows and the like. a discrimi-
mating attitude has been adopted, those
places being shut down which were found
upon inspection to violate the sanitary
laws and to be favorable to ne breeding
of disease. Had we adopted universal
order with respect to the closing Of
theatres and moving picture shows We
should then logically have closed every
department store. every ONCE and fac
tory. every restaurant and cabaret show
and every club.
THE disease Is one which is spread
TO a large degree by contact in the
home, and even II We went through some
utopian method OF policing to confne
every person TO his OF her home II IL
doubtful whether the epidemic could be
measuraby diminished. Those in pri-
vate practice see the disease spread from
one member to all other members In the
same family in a way which would seem
clearly TO indicate contact In the home
as the distinct cause.
City's Record Better Than Camps.
Our record of 6.725 deaths with a
population OF $50, 900, as opposed to
the record OF 1874 deaths In the vari-
Gus army camps Of this country which
total a strength OF about million.
makes an encouraging showing and
gives warrant for the belief that our
steadfast adherence to our views with
respect to the closing o. places OF public
assembly is Justified"
Discussing editorially articles by DR.
Copeland and others In this Its second
influenza number" the New York Medi-
cal Journal says: Major Charles l.
Mix. who sets forth his experience In
the observation OF 1000 cases at Camp
Mills, confirms the belief that the dis
ease is not air borne, but is conveyed by
direct contact
He warns against starvation. fatigue
and cold, as avoidable predisposinG fac
tors, and cautions the practitioner
against the great danger OF relapse in
patients dismissed too soon, advising
against dismissal under ten days after
the normal temperature has been estab-
lished.'