The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-30
EPIDEMIC WAVES IN
CROWDED DISTRICTS
DR.. Copeland Makes Personal
Tour of Manhattan and
The Bronx.
PRAISE FOR HIS WORKERS
Increase in Reported Cases Due
to Number Held From
Sunday.
PRAISE FOR HIS WORKERS

missioner. personally visited yesterday
the more congestcd districts in Manhat-
tan and The Bronx. where lie says the
influenza and pneumonia epidemic has
become localized, and upon his return to
Health Department headquarters in the
late afternoon reported that the number
Of new cases developing in those dis
tricts In the last two days has shown
a marked decrease.
According to the Official epidemic
figures compiled by the Health Depart
ment from reports received from It's own
and many other sources, there was a
sharp increase in the number of new
cases. This. however. is due to the fact
that many which were put on yester-
days official list should have gone on the
sunday report. and should cause no
alarm.
As the report stands there was an
increase OF more than 1900 new in
fiuenzs cases, 2l7 pneumonia. and 1871
deaths over the official figures covering
the twenty-four hours ended at 10
o'clock Sunday morning.
Found Women Workers.
In speaking Of his tour OF the tene-
ment districts yesterday DR.. Copeland
said:
II went out to see for myself Just
what the conditions were In the crowded
sections Of the city. found groups
OF women who have been working day
and night without rest. who have visited
these crowded homes and found from
four to six in a family Ill, have seen two
and three IN a family die, and have
witnessed the pathetic conditions
generally.
From the Chryst.e Settlement House
on the lower East side. up to the Bronx
Health Department found that while
the emergency centres have a large num-
Der OF very serious cases OF pneumonia
to care for. many of which will be fatal.
there was not centre which failed TO
report that in the last two days there
has been a big decrease in the number
of new cases. while there were many
reporting almost none.
"I started from the lower East Side,
and when / stopped at Hunter College.
Sixty-eighth street and Lexington ave-
nue., Or. Margaret Wilson loaded my
automobile to capacity with bed linen.
baby dresses and other garments which
had been made by the students for use
in this epidemic.
System Working Well Now.
"The trip showed me that our organi-
zation, which in the early days OF the
epidemic did not run as smoothly as II
might. has evolved into a comprehensive
system. In those initial days the people
were alarmed. and nearly panic condi-
tons prevailed in some OF the districts.
THE result was that the first calls
for help were answered by physicians
ana nurses who found in great many
instances that there was no great cause
for alarm. Now the intelligent volunteer
workers in these centres make the first
call and report whether there is need
for nurse or physician
The Health Commissioner also said
yesterday that in his campaign against
uLsanltary soda fountains as a means
of sp! ding the epidemic 1l6 arrests
have been made. violators have paid
S+e5 in fines and thirty-one fNu1talns
have ipeen closed in the last week
The epidemic struck close to DIR. Cope
land yesterday when his son, Royal s..
Jr. aged s. contracted influenza. The
Commissioner said that he had un-
doubtedly contracted IT when playing on
tho street. Tho Ethical Culture School
at SiXty-third street and Central Park
= est. where the boy was a student,
cipsed its doors about ten days ago
when the parents and teachers became
t!nid about the epidemic.
The Commissioner announced that last
Sunday ne removed the farmer on his
country home outside OF Suffern. y. Y.
to the Good Samaritan Hospital in that
town. The farmers wife also was
taken TO the hospital, They were both
suffering from influenza.
Wants Nurses Better Paid.