The sun., 1918-10-24
1850 INCREASE
In GRIP CASES.;
FEWER DEATHS
Doctors Deluge Health De-
partment With Reports
Delayed Many Days.
"NO CAUSE FOR ALARM"
DR.. Copeland Says Epidemic
Now Waning-Cemeteries
Face Hard Problem.
"N0 CAUSE FOR ALARM"

Notwithstanding an increase Of 1850
In the number of cases of influenza re-
ported to the Department Of Health yes
terday over those OF Tuesday, DIR. ROYAL
s. Copeland. Health Commissioner. all
believes the epidemic In decreasing
Though this Is the largest daily increase
since the epidemic began DR.. Copeland
explains that in reality II Is a decrease.
II Is tho result. he said, of the news
papers and his efforts to make doctors
report their cases They evidently did
all at once. One doctor reported 400
cases yesterday and admitted they
dated from the beginning OF the cpl
denic There were several like in
cidents reported. Fewer calls for am
balances are coming into Police Head
quarters. but 1t is admitted more cases
nre being discovered In the poorer
homes of the city. cared for there in
stead OF being removed to hospitals.
Just what the situation has been and
is is conjecture, said DIR. Copeland yes
terday afternoon. TIE o-'v dns~''n 'r-
dication Is in tho death certificates.
and sometimes even then tie Ii agnos,s
Of the cause of death Is wrong. But
whatever the situation DIR. Copeland
feels optimistic. lie believes the cpl
dem'c Is subsiding.
There was an increase OF 14o new
pneumo" "A cases. but a decrease of
eighteen deaths.
"No Cause for Alarm.o
Or. Copeland insists there Is no cause
for alarm. IF the doctors had played
fair with the Health Department and
rerorted their cases as the law saws
they must as they occur the Health
Commissioner would have been In touch
with the. exact situation daily" he said.
Had we known every case II could
have been attended to somehow and
greater measures taken to prevent the
spread OF the disease"
An appreciate number OF deaths have
been reported where thsre was no me =
ical or nursing aid. One body lay in
a house two days after death from
influenza before the authorities even
knew there was influenza In the house,
DR.. Cor Gland said yesterday. There
were eight families afflicted in this
small tenement. The Health Depart
ment had to bury tn. body.
But speaking of duty" Or. Copeland
said, I've never seen a more beautiful
example Of it than this" He held up
neatly typed letter on the stationery
OF a Christian Science practitioner.
Offers Services rs Orderly.
Here's a Christian Science practi-
TONER" he said, who writes me he will
deem II an honor to be allowed to serve
as an orderly in a hospital during this
epidemic This man DR. Edmond +.
Burton. has been a Science practitioner
here for several years, but before this
he was a medical physician, giving 1t up
for Science. Now he asks to be allowed
to serve as lowly orderly. He's =
real man."
DR. Copeland asks FOR more volunteers.
nurses. orderlies and domestic help. They
are needed for home nursing and relief
centre work. The Academy OF Medicine
has been asked to place a number OF
doctors at the call of the Health De-
partment.
Violations OF the opening and closing
orders of the Health Department rela-
tive to business houses are coming to
the notice OF the Health Commissioner.
The police are making an investigation.
There have been so many deaths from
influenza and pneumonia that many OF
the cemeteries cannot bury the dead as
they arrive so are resorting to unusual
methods for temporary burial.
Steam shovel Digs Graves.
st. Johns Cemetery has a steam
shovel at work scooping out large pits
in the earth, where the bodies are buried
by the dozens until time can be had for
individual interment. Some of the ceme-
teries have large sheds filled to capacity
with collins awaiting burial. and floral
wreaths are stacked in ten foot piles
near by.
The closing orders in Newark are
strictly operative despite the efforts Of
the municipal authorities to lift the en-
barge when the epidemic seemed to he
declining there.
There were only six new cases OF in
fuenza reported in Camp Upton yester-
day. Passes for the soldiers to New
York are being discouraged.
Robert Faulkner Putnam. son OF the
late John Bishop Putnam and treasurer
OF G. r. Putnam's Sons, publishers. died
IN his home one the Post road from pneu-
monia in Rye yesterday. He was SO
years old. a graduate of Harvard, 'O5.
and member OF the Harvard Club here.
His brothers, Victor Haven Putnam and
George p. Putnam, survive.