The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-10-15
Influenza Epidemic Has Not
Been Allowed to Become a
Real Epidemic and Few
Cases in City.
OTHER CITIES HIT HARD
Prevention Of Congregation of
People in Keokuk Justified
and Business Can Go on
as Usual Here.

Keokuk is the safest town in this
part of the country for people to be
lin.
The influenza epidemic has not been
allowed to become a real epidemic
here.
The total number of cases from the
beginning is only thirty-four and often
there have been that many of some
other disease without occasionins re
mark.
Some of this total has been cured
and discharged, and one died, SO that
there are only about thirty cases in
Keokuk at 10 o'clock this morning.
The record has thoroughly justified
the action of the Keokuk board of
health in placing ban on all assem-
blages of people very early.
Few New Gases Well Scattered
Twelve cases were reported in the
Itwenty-four hours ending at 10 o'clock
this morning. but part of these were
reported after 10 O'Clock Monday and
were the over Sunday accumulation in
the hands of the doctors.
The cases in Keokuk are scattered
all over town. They are in Park place,
on the bluff. and in Belknap place in
the new addition out toward the indus
/ trial tract, in Oak street in the out
skirts, and far down South Second
street.
Only one of them can be called SER
ious today, and the others are light
with no signs yet of pneumonia.
The keokuk PHYSICIANS are report
ing every case to the mayor promptly.
as required by the state board of
health. This morning, the mayor asked
them to report recoveries, for the ben
eft of the statistics of the disease
! here.
Bad Conditions Among Neiqhbors.
The situation at Quincy is so bad
that 1t Is carefully concealed and the
unofficial reports are that there are
1, 400 cases in that city about three
times as large as Keokuk The Quincy
papers have very long lists Of really
prominent people down with influ
enza. Fourteen street car men were
stricken in one day. The doctors are
said to be working to the limit of their
strength day and night there One
priest said mass in the yard Of
school.
Fort Madison put on a ban similar
to Keokuk last night at midnight, af-
ter 1t had accumulated 123 cases and
four deaths from influenza.
Burlington is not telling the influ-
enZa situation there very much, and
that town put on the ban rather late
All these cities waited until the dis
ease had a firm hold on their popu-
lations before stopping collections of
people, instead of doing it early as
Keokuk did.
Sprayer In Great Demand.
One factor In keeping influenza
from becoming really epidemic here is
the general use Of personal preventive
measures by Keokuk people.
Not a single sprayer could be bought
in Keokuk yesterday afternoon, and
the prospect for replenishing the sup
ply is not good.
One large Keokuk drug store had
just received a supply of atomisers
which was intended to last it all win
ter as It was a very large shipment
They were all gone in three hours.
A wholesale and retail house with
good connections wired the factory of
the most popular atomiser to express
a large number and answer when they
would be shipped. They did not even
receive reply. A few were found in
by messenger and
brought here. The largest drug supply
jobbing house in the world, at st. Lou
is, said by telephone that it did not
have single atomiser in stock: then
It robbed it's sample room OF theirs