The sun., 1918-10-10
GRIP SPREADS
ANDCITY ASKS
|: I STUDENTS AID
Seniors in Medical Schools
! Drafted as Nurses by the
/ Health Department.
.sUBwAY PLACE OF PERIL
.Crowding in >Non-Rush Hours
z Continues Despite Growth
q Of Epidemic.

There was an increse in the number
~ new cases Of influenza In the greater
eity yesterday. particularly in Manhat-
tan. A. an Offset. however. TO abe figures
knowing q gradual spread Of the dis
sase In the metropolitan district there
sswere other aspects OF the situation Of
j nature more reassuring to DR.. Royal g.
copeland. Health Commissioner. and the
other leaders Of the fight against the
epidemic.
!, IN three Of the Eve boroughs. for in
stance-The Bronx. Queens and Rich
5pond-there was smaller number Of
new cases Of influenza reported than on
tuesday. In all the boroughs. Man
haitian included. there was decrease In
she number Of new cases Of" pneumonia
and also falling of in the number OF
deaths not only from pneumonia but
from influenza as we'll
4, Next to the fact that the growth OF
NE epidemic has been much more grad
nal here than in other localities through
out the country DR.. Copeland was par
ticuiariy pleased last night over the fact
chat by means OF plan he had put
/, Dartment had done much to cope with
problem Of repienishing he sadly do
Ulsted total Of nurses
Medical Students DRAFTED.
q Early In the day DR.. Copeland got into
standardization with the deans OF the
Various medical schools OF the city and
sroposed the idea that tho senior year
medical students Of the schools drop
their studles temporarily and report this
morning at various hospitals to do the
Aursing. The heads Of the medical
schools, realizing that about 20 per cent.
~ ali the professional nurses in the
&ity are themselves suffering from infiu-
ensa, promptly gave their full approval
TO the new plan OF trying to make up
for the great deficiency In the total Of
available nursea which has been caused
Dartly by their absence on Government
work and partly BY. contracting the con-
tAgious disease while caring for patients.
With the advent Of the fourth year
&edical students into the nursing ranks
to-day the Health, Department will be
eole to provide 500 new beds in addition
10 about SOC beds already at the disposal
- the department which could not be
Nsed yesterday owing to the lack of
purses to care for the patients that
6therwise might have occupied the va
can't beda
There also win be held this morning
d general meeting of the nurses Of the
eity to devise Immediate plans whereby
the nurses will be able to do home nurs-
ing where needed. Also DR.. Copeland
Installed In the Health Department last
night an influenza clearing house" for
the purpose Of helping out the sufferers
who do not know howl to 20 about the
work Of getting nurses or hospital treat
spent.
"Innuensa Clerk on Duty.
Henceforth the public should remem-
Der that all that ID necessary to get in
touch with proper medical assistance Ii
TO call up the Department Of Health on
the telephone and ask for the "inhuenza
clerk" New telephones have been in
stalled especially for this purpose.
>, The influenza clerk will be on duty
day and night and will gladly give every
<ne all detailed information as to how
end where the speediest hospital relief
may be found. and will also, where pos
sible. provide nurses to applicants. In
this way the "infhlenza clearing house"
hopes to put an immediate end to a con-
dition which showed that some hospitals
were overcrowded while other hospitals
In the same neighborhood had beds to
spare.
L By far the greatest increase in new
influenza cases yesterday took place in
Manhattan, the only other boroush
which showed an increase being Brook
I'm. Despite the growth In the Man
hattan total Of new cases. however, there
was an increase In the greater city Of
only about 16 per cent. over the Tues
day Increase, whereas the Tuesday fig
ures showed jump OF about so per
cent. over the influenza increase of Mon
day.
= No Closing Order Yet.
Unless the epidemic rips through tho
city at the appalling rate shown by fig
,ires from other communities there will
Do no immediate closing OF the schools
or churches. Also 1t Is likely that the
theatres will be permitted to remain
open so long as the managers see TO n
that overcrowding or disregard OF rules
OF the Health Department is not per-
mitted
9, Or. Copeland conferred with police Of
hcials yesterday on the matter of sta
1oning policemen at all the theatres
while the epidemiS lasts to see that the
rules concerning the proper use of the
handkerchief TO stop tho spread of
GERMS. close crowdlng and similar or
dersb are obeyed. So far the theatrical
men, said DR.. Copeland. had taken all
possible steps toward coping with the
epidemic. as directed by the Health De-
partment. and he looked for the same
tearty cooperation while the danger
hsts. In case OF any great jump In the
number OF now cases all the theatres
and schools will promptly be closed.
. The danger to New York city from
disease carriers who como here from
shipyards, munition plants and other
great industries In New Jersey and other
outlying points will be taken up this
morning at a conference between D.,
Copeland and A. II. Smith. regional d.
Isctor OF railroads for the Government.
The local health authorities cannot, of
course. regulate railroad, tube and troll
ley traffic outside the city limits and in
consequence the Health Department
Tears that the infiux at each nightly rush
hour OF these workers and others into
Manhattan may go far toward multiplying
the efforts at regulation being made
mere hence the conference with Regional
Director Smith this morning.
Subway Place OF Danger.
In all conferences recently as to the
closing OF buildings and other places
where crowds congregate the obvious
fAct has presented itself to the hea n
authorities that the FIRST thing to BIZ
closed should be the subway The great
CONFUSION. the loss to business and wage
etrnsrs which would result from so
radical step. however. deters the
Health Department from acting against
Che city's main arteries OF travel. In
NE meantime the local rapid transit