The Washington times., 1918-10-04

dangerous medium OF cOntaGion.
DR.. II. s. Mustard, OF the Public
Health Service. has been placed in
charge OF the war of determination
for the Public Health Service, and will
coordinate it's efforts with those of
the District Health Department, the
District Commissioners, and the Red
Cross. Al.
To Isolate Cases.
The first point OF attack after the
sanitary zone has been placed in opera
tion will be the isolation Of dangerous
cases and a method OF preventing per-
sons not literally i'll, but infected with
the disease germs from spreading it.
To complicate matters for the office
under DR.. Fowler District Health OH
Ger, two cases OF smallpox have been
reported among the Nolored population
OF the city. The first was reported
Wednesday. Thursday. the second case
was reported. There is no immediate
danger OF an epidemic. DR.. Fowler said
The first case was reported from 1901
Vermont avenue northwest and the sec
ond from 1902 Thirteenth street north
west
In the hospital being equipped to-
day in the Ralston building, 6I2 F
street northwest, and in 6O2 F street
northwest, treatment will be given
civil employees of the Government
and the District. The hospital will
consist OF about 100 beds, thirty-five
in the building in Coz F street, form
erly occupied by Annex No. Is of the
Shipping Board. and sixty-five in the
Ralston building. The former is
two-story brick structure and the
latter four stories, with a court in
the center.
Red Cross Assisting.
The Red Cross is furnishing a large
part OF the equipment for the hospital
and has agreed to furnish as many
nurses as are available. The hospital
is to be under direction of the Public
Health Service.
Asked as to the appropriation of
S1.0O0.OO0 by Congress to tight the
spread OF the pandemic, DR.. Rupert
Blue said that a large part of it is
being spent in an educational cam
paign. No part OF the appropriation
is allotted to any specific use, or to
any specific part OF the country. 1t
is available for districts needing
money to fight the disease, but will
be spent at the direction of the Pub
lie Health Service as officials deem
most eXpedient
The opening and colsing hours o.
two more departments, the Inter-
state Commerce Commission and the
office of the Director General OF
Railroads were changed today
Clerks in both departments now will
report at $3.50 in the morning and
quit at at night instead OF observ-
ing their old hours, which were o
to 4:30.
1ySO0 Cases Daily.
An average of i. 800 cases OF influ-
enza have been treated daily for the
last five days at the Army Medical
Dispensary OF this number, the daily
number of home cases, cases in which
the doctor or nurse must visit the pa
tient, have been 300. All of these
cases are from some OF the different
Government departments.
Sixty-five nurses and doctors have
been kept busy for twelve hours a day
for the last five days treating Govern
ment employees who are sent to them
for treatment
Chief clerks of the various Govern
ment departments are expected to be
ordered by the Public Health Service
to keep all papr drinking cup hold
ers well filled, or, in case glasses are
used, to see that they are we'll steril-
ized. An old regulation provides that
each Government employe must pro-
vide his own drinking cup. This rule
has not been enforced, and the Gov
ernment provides paper drinking
cups.
No estimate as to the number of
war workers who are incapitated from
Influenza has as yet been compiled.
but unofficial statements have 1t that
at least 300 clerks for the last five
days have been sent home daily with
symptoms of Spanish influenza. or
which are likely to develop into in
fiuenza- The rest either have jim
ffuenza or are on the verge OF pneu-
monia.