Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-20
INFLUENZA SPREAD
UNDATED IN FURY
Claims Twenty-Eight More in
City--252 New Cases
Are Reported.
SOUTHWEST is HIT HARD
QUESTIONABLE Sent Out by State
Board of Health Shows
Conditions Bad

u 1t
tw"nty-eight of thirty-four deaths in
tsia hinond yesterday. and placed 95a
new names on the list Of the afflicted.
II is but matter OF time, however.
according 10 Dr. Roy * Flanagan.
Chief Health Officer OF the city of
Richrond. until the stalking gian, will
have passed entirely out Of this city.
In view Of the fact that SO rnany of
th= cases reported within the last few.
days have been old ones the doctors
nave just found time to record, IL Is
thought that really new cases are
cases are thought to be diminishing
faster than the deaths, due TO the
many cases with serious admiytures of
pneumonia, resulting from the strepto-
coccu5 germ.
The condition, however, is such that
lie health authorities are unwilling TO
pahlic institutions and places. Taking
for granted that there have been 40
900 cases here-when II is estimated
really have been but l5,0oo-that leaves
i25;ooo people here yet who have not
had the influenza. That means, said
pT. Fiannagan, that there arc at the
city, as compared with the 10000 i'm
nunes To reopen the churches and
schools and motion picture houses now.
reinfection Of the city from tho cases
still here. with the result that there
will be another 800 or 400 victims to
the privilege of open houses. There
is no doubt that the situation is be-
coming better daily. and tho health
tl,. 9thciais y are wary to undo. by prema-
the good they have just accomplished.
RICHMOND NOT SO HARD
HIT AS OTHER CITIES
So far this city has escaped the fate
OF Pulaski. Chirstiansburg. West Point
and some OF the military and naval
stations. II has also been stricken with
a feebler blow than other Eastern
1000. based on the annual mortality
for all diseases, for the week ending
October 1" was In Richmond, SIS; Bos-
loo: Nashville. rs; Washington. 81:
Syracuse, SO; New York, ,aa; Baltimore,
50. and atlanta. %. The disease has
all these deaths have been the direct
Western cities. About three fourths Of
result OF grippe, running into pneu-
monia. Many deaths due to influenza
also are charged up against tubercu
losis and other chronic illnesses
af,icting the VICTIMS.
To date in Hichmond there. have
been S.9si reported cases. at the
emergency. hospital, operated in the
John Marshall High School, there have
been treated to date So cases. There
-,
charges and nineteen transfers. That
leaves in the hospital now 337 cases.
These hgares, according to the city
Improvement in the general situation.
1t also shows that in that institution
there has been n 10 per cent death
rate. This was due to the fact that
many patients were in critical condi-
tion when brought TO the school.
COUNTIES
REPORT S,S20 CASES
Up to Saturday morning the State
Board of Health had received forty
out Wednesday to the county health Of
ficers of Virginia In connection with
the. ravages of influenza: The replies
most serious one. though there is
definite evidence of Improvement at
certain points. and local authorities.
conditions fairly we'll.
The forty-th-ee counties heard from
report total OF S.72s cases. OF which
IS: are complicated by pneumonia. OF
deaths there have been IL.
The percentage of deaths for the
total number sck-whether or not
onc-fcurth.
When it is remembered that these
figures relate TO more or less thickly
populated rural sections and not to
crowded communities, it will be seen
that the influenza is playing havoc in
the country as we'll rs in the cities and
towns.
So far as Southwest Virginia is con-
cerned. there is no Disgusting the fact
that the situation is such as TO give
the health authorities serious concern.
Indeed, this section appears to be the
worst afflicted Of any part Of the
state.
DIR. BRUMFIELD nEPORTs
CONDITIONS BAD IN LEE
DR. w. \. Brumtield. OF the United
States Public Health Service. who was
sent by the state board TO this field
u few days ago. writes in part from
Lee County under date of October II as
follows:
Conditions at ST. Charles could not
well be worse. The great majority
are panic Stricken and completely dis
1t is said that the sick
and the children in seine houses arc
abe to toT prepsre tGsa Hcaos0 M there Is
operation al co"turn.. The town raised
500 by subseripti9n last sunday
by Miss Jane Morgan, with volunteer
help from the home demonstration
Assnt and women dr,s or coSGnrn; 1nn1; n,,
Imam. Tacoma and several smaller
places ere quite bad and they need
medical and nursing help; The stonega
Norton Liants are in good condition,
bu: they ha:. so.nc mild cases.
'piphth"ria has been added TO the
u
Charles. and I am returning there to
try TO organize nc work for relief amt
the establishments OF soup kitchens and
other work
In view Of tho serious menace from
di phtheria, which will terribly compli-
cate the influenza situation If 1t ap-
pears elsewhere than in Southwest Eir-
ginia, the state Board OF Health,
the medium OF II special cir
cular. is urging ali doctors to be on
the lookout for this added danger and
to be in a position to secure promptly
an adequate supply OF antitoNin.
Mrs. ". ". Morton, president OF
sociation. OF $50 West Tranklin Street. 4
receives the report OF the nurses each
morning concerning those TO whom
soup must be sent. The list continues
to be long. but Mrs Morton and her
Continued on Eighth Pagc.)
The Marked Confidence
That readers have in Tho Times Dis
"a. L.. II