Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-05
27 NEW DEATHS
MARK INFLUENZA
SPREAD IN CAPITAL
DR.. w. E. Turton, Vital Sta
tistics Clerk, Succumbs
to Epidemic.
13O STREET CAR MEN
AMONG CITYS STRICKEN
Commissioners Take More Measures
to Prevent Spread of the
Disease.

Influenza continued to make alarm
ing gains in the District today.
Twenty-seven deaths were reported
during the last twenty-four hours. the
! largest number for any similar period
since the start of the epidemic.
DR.. w. E. Turton, clerk in the vital
statistics bureau of the health depart
ment, was among those who succumb-
ed to the disease.
Street car companies reported $50
motormen and conductors incapaci-
tated for work today as a result of
the wide sweep of the malady. This
left more than hundred cars Jun
manned. But the staggered hour
plan operated to reduce congestion
greatly during the normal rush hours
open-Air Church Services.
Many churches will hold open-air
services tomorrow, according to re-
port made to Commissioner Brown
low.
The Commissioners have taken prac-
tically all precautionary measures
open to them in the way of closing
the ordinary channels through Whlcn
influenza germs circulate.
While today's death report was dis
couraging, they believe that the steps
taken to check the disease must soon
lead to an improvement in the situa-
ton.
Cars Must Be Thrown Open.
Commissioner Brownlow again to-
day called the attention of the man
agements of the street car companies
operating in the District to his re-
quest sent them the first day of the
influenza epidemic to keep the win
dows and doors of all cars transport
ing passengers open, and thus prevent
the spread of the germs and bacilli
of the disease among the passengers.
This, the Commissioner says, is inn
peratiive, the physicians and health Of
ficers advising him that. where cars
are crowded, with closed windows and
no circulation of fresh air, the danger
+ of contagion is greatest.
Open windows and all the fresh air
possible in the homes and street and
railway cars is a safeguard against
contagion, the commissioner says. He
will insist that the street car COM
panies operating in Washington
strictly comply with this suggestion.
Cars of street railways and steam
railways operated in Virginia, by an
order of the state health officer are
being operated under this open door
and window order, regardless OF
weather conditions.
Health Officer Fowler makes an
earnest appeal to the general public
to remain away from private and
church funerals. He says that for the
public safety it would be best for all
to follow the suggestion. and only
members of the immediate families
should attend private or public fu-
neralS.
He points out That where at private
funerals the homes are packed with
friends and relatives there is grave
services taking the influenza. He
saws while church funerals are not as
liable to spread the contagion, yet
there is danger there also.
Physicians Must Report Cases.
Owing to the fact that the influenza
is not among the diseases required by
law to be reported by physicians and
others, it has been impossible for the
health officer to give out any estimate
of how many cases OF the disease there
are in the city.
To secure this necessary information
the Commissioners made an order
which makes it compulsory on all
physicians and others to promptly re-
port every case.
Announcement was made today that
the commission on training camp ac-
tiyities of the Army has called off all
indoor entertainments until after the
danger of the contagion has passed.
Druggists Are Rushed With Work.
Every drug store in the city is flood
ed under an avalanche of prescrip-
tions for medicines for the treatment
of patients with the disease and as a
result hours are required before a
prescription can be filled. The drug
gists are working night and day and
making fruitless appeals in the ad-
yertising columns of the local pa
pers for registered pharmacist
The special service established in
the health department for the recep-
ton of calls for trained nurses from
the service, established jointly by the
District health department and the
United States Hospital Service, Main
5000, branch 364, has been busy all
day taking appeals for the services
of the trained nurses, who are prompt
ly sent to the afflicted homes to act
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