Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-17
NUMBER Of FLU
CASES INCREASED
BY CELEBRATION
Crowds of Last Monday and
Tuesday Caused Some Re-
VivaI of Disease, Says Head
Of Health Association,

There seems little doubt but that
the recent increase in influenza
! throughout the state is due TO the VIC
| tory celebration last Monday" said
! John Tombs when interviewed by the
| Journal at the office of The New Mex
| leo Public Health association yester-
! day.
Mr.. TomES stated that the epidemic
! had shown decided evidence of at least
| quiescence if not termination, prior to
| that occurrence. The most concrete
! evidence being the sudden demand for
nurses from various parts of the state
commencing Thursday and Increasing
Friday and yesterday.
Places such as Fort Sumner that
had been attacked early and had the
! epidemic so well in hand as to be able
| to dispense with the extra doctors and
nurses, were forced to call upon the
liaison representative of the Red Cross
for additional aid. Places such as So
zorro which had been able to handle
the situation locally up to this week
were among those calling for aid
It seems to be definitely established,
however, that the new cases, though
numerous, are not 80 virulent as those
encountered at the beginning and dur
ing the height of the epidemic. DR. j
W. Kerr, of the United States Public
Health service, had planned on with
drawing his corps Of assistant surgeons
from the state at an early date, but
will probably find it necessary to re-
main little longer in view of this new
development
Mr.. Tombs praised the splendid
work done by this corps of physicians,
and stated that in his opinion that the
work done by DR.. Kerr and the men
he has sent into various parts of the
state is the biggest thing the federal
government has ever done for New
Mexico.
Having no real official organization
for health protection in New Mexico
the state is particularly vulnerable to
attack in the matter of epidem-
les, and it is felt by all who have
given the matter the slightest consid-
GRAFTON that the most important thing
to come before the next session of the
legislature will be the establishment of
an adequate department of health for
New Mexico.
In letter to DIR. Oliver r. Hyde, |
vice president of the New Mexico
Public Health association, DR.. w. II.
Cogswell secretary of the department,
of public health of the state of Mon
tana, writing from Helena and discuss
ing public health matters, states that
Montanas appropriation for public !
health last year was $50, 800, and that
the people of the state are insisting
upon an increased amount being spent
on health protection in 1919.
In Albuquerque, it was stated last |
night, seventeen new cases of influ-
enZa We're reported yesterday, making |
total of Ill new cases in four days, |
against 10S cases IN the eight day |
period Immediately prior thereto, On
the other hand there we're but eleven |
deaths reported in Albuquerque in the |
seven-day period ending last night, |
and thirty in the immediate vicinity |
of the city. This would seem to in
dictate that the cases now are not az
severe as they were a few weeks ago, !
as the number of deaths shows de-
crease.