New Britain herald., 1918-10-16
DISTRICT NURSING
 FOR SICK PATIENTS
Government Sends Additional
 Doctors for Cases Here

In order to be better able to cope with the serious pneumonia situation, which is developing from the Spanish influenza epidemic plan is being evolved, and which will be pat into operation within a day, whereby the city is to be divided into nursing dis tricts, health department workers will be on duty the entire 24 hours of the day and night and an extra physician will be ready to answer all calls.
 Third Doctor Arrives.
 Dr. Dawley, who has been sta toned at the hospital for a week, is still on duty there, and Dr. B. l.. Blackledge, another physician sent here by the state board of health, continues to attend to patients at their homes. A third doctor has now arrived, having been sent here by the United States government through the state health department. He is pr. w. H. Follner of Williamsport, Pa. This morning Dr. T. Eben Reeks, state epidemi gist, Dr. H. F. Moore.
 
 and pr. Blackledge, together With Mayor Quigley and Earl Kisselbracl< and Mrs. W. F. Brooks of the war bureau held 8 lengthy conference At which time definite plans were worked out to combat the pneumonia in this city
 City Will Be Divided.
 While there are many cases of pr;% eral Hospital, these are giving the officials the least concern, as they are constantly under the eye of doctors and nurses. It is the numerous cases scattered all over tho \city that is causing the alarm. The plan is to have a special committee appointed and this committee will meet to- night to thoroughly systematize the matter of nursing. The program calls for dividing the city into six districts. each ward to be a district. There are about 20 trained nurses and IT prac- tical nurses whose servives cal he secured, Mayor Quigley says and these nurses will be apportioned to the various districts, according to the number of patients therein. The plan now is to have the practical nurses remain in constant attendance at
  and to have the trained nurses act as a visiting nurses squad to visit each patient regularly. advise and instruct the practical nurses and to sec to it that the doctors orders are car ried out to the letter
 Health Department Open All Night.
 Beginning tonight, the health de- partment office in City Hall will be .Qs h in charge to take telephone calls from people who desire the services of the state doctors and cannot secure a physician of their own. There will also be health department inspect Qrs on duty day and night to take these calls and make an immediate investigation. Thomas Crowley will be on duty nights and John A. Dolan will be on duty days. This system is believed necessary to prevent lmposi- tion on the doctors. Heretofore Dr. Blackledge has received a number of urgent calls and upon arriving he has found the case to be anything but urgent According to the mayor, one man sent out hurry call for the doctor late at night and on arriving the physician found that his patienC was suffering from only an ingrowing tOenall Wn1Cn ne Wautcu EeuONcd. The health department inspectors will immediately drive to the homo of the patient and if the call is a legitimate one the doctor will be sent over as quickly as possible.
 Epidemic on the Decline.
 The epidemic of Spanish influenza is appreciably letting up and doctors agree that the crisis has passed and the disease is already on the decline. The many cases of pneumonia that are now developing are the direct re- suit of the influenza epidemic and are what the medical profession has been warning against for the past two or three weeks Dr. Moore. superin- tendent of health, who perfected the anti-pneumonia serum at Rockefel- Ter Institute, explains that this serum is not being used in New Britain be- cause a majority of the cases of pneumonia developing from influenza are of type one. whereas the serum is effective only in type four cases.
 May Reopen Theaters Monday.
 It was authoritatively stated this morning that unless the situation takes a decided change for the worse, 1t is very probable that the theaters and motion picture houses will be given permission to reopen for busi- ness next week. It is also very prob able that the schools will likewise reopen next Monday.