Evening journal., 1918-10-10

charged with that responsibility the contractor
| paid to do that work, but through the authority and
under The direction OF the head Of the Health Depart
| ment
Investigation proved to Director Krusen the Uttered
and filthy streets in every section Of the city dan
gerous II not the PRIME agency In the spread of the in
| fuenza germ
| Where streets were diriest the disease was worst
Where refuse accumulated the pneumonia germ thryed.
Where negligence was most nagrant cOntaglon was
quickest. In the most neglected the death toll
highest
These facts stated upon the highest medical and
scientific authority in America the subject Of ep-
demc influenza. its cause and spread through the dust
and dirt OF llthy streets.
With this information before him Director Krusen
had no alternative but TO take matters into his
hands. and Monday night beginning a program that
VIII be continued and expanded long epidemic in
uenza prevails here on any considerable SCALE gave the
thoroughfares Of the downtown section such a flooding
and scrubbing made them, by comparison with their
previous condition. resemble the sanitary Of
'spOtless town"
The head of the health department found the most
necessary field for his cleanup lie well within
the confines OF that area supposed to be taken Of
by the largest street-ceaning contractor and garbage
collector in the world" His appears upon the
scroll of the Senate OF Pennsylvania Edwin H. Vare
Garbage in parts OF that section Of the city has not
been removed by the citypad collector since July last
and the charge is made IL has been disposed Of only
through tne irregular collectors OF the outlawed pig
series in the lower parts Of the city.
One woman, who insisted her be withheld be-
cause OF fear of the reprisa that might be brought
against her husband. who is a physician with a large
practice in that part Of the city said that In the section
OF which she personally knew, roughly outlined as
bounded by Fifth Eighth Wharton and Dickinson streets
garboge has been collected in any other way at
least four months.
But the most severe indictment OF all came from a
physician and specialist In epidemic influenza, Dr. How
ard s. Anders of No 100 Walnut street whose inquiry
into this particular problem extended throughout
this country and Europe. His work was done on behalf
of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Tu
berculoss.
Proof Of Dr. Anders foresight is interesting and in
formative in view OF Of the last days although
HIS warnings not needed when given
As early September 2S he wrote a letter TO the
Editor OF the Public Ledger setting forth that a wide
epidemic Of influenza could be ayered here and in which
he said in part:
'what for instance is going to be done to clean up
the ctys dirty streets and the dusty atmosphere which
crculaes where people gather and gives the dust par-
cles their germ-laden cOmmunicability?
Let II not be forgotten that dust not only creates
catarrhal soil Of potential receptvIty but communicates
the causal seed Of activity A CONGREGATION of neonle
means a ready-made inlammable mass for conGagra-
ton OF peril by contagion It may be necessary before
Ions, as drastic measure OF public prophyaxs, 10
crowding occurs"
throughout the world recognized Dr. Anders the
foremost authorities upon the subject Of epidemic in
Huenla no move was made toward flushing otherwise
cleaning up the Streets II was several days later before
places Of public congregation closed
Dirty streets; NTH allowed to collect and stand in
public places and thorougfares until germaden and dis
easebreedng is carried broadcast with the first gust
OF wind-here you have Of the greatest causes and
what Is worst OF ALL preventable Of the terrible
epidemic OF influence that has swept over the city OF
Philadelphia and taken the Of its men, women and
children, DR.. Anders summed up the whole situation
last night
Contrary statements notwithstanding the endemic
OF Influenza In Philadelphia, and its rapid spread 20 all
sections Of the CITY, has been due 10 atmosphere
contaminated by infectious dust coming from the un-
clean streets, 1t has been by any direct contact OF
ing, sneezlng splitting
Indeed contagion by spray virtually is dependent
upon the dust mode Of Transmission. In other words
dusty atmosphere is In most cases prerequisite TO the
catching Of the moisture which carries the contagious
bacterial content Virtually every particle Of moisture
mas tor s nucleus some minute particle of dust smoke
or dried bacteria.
ITO put it in language that all may understand every
dust particle Is arplane loaded with bacterial hombs
not only potential but often an actual carrier of
the microbes OF dust-bone diseases many of which
winter months.
''rhere no mystery about the spread OF epidemic
influenza In Philadelphia There is no mystery about
mud there can be foong with NTH; there can be no
dly-dallyng with dust and dirt For dirt and dust after
all represent nothing but the puverzation Of dried and
Flushing the streets, in an occasional or spasmodo
manenr, Is too late TO prevent the epidemic II should
nave nave Deeh done ana done thoroughly when warning
gwen Wnen knowledge should have prompted lt before
the disease arrived II should have been done SYSTEMATIC
ally weeks ago. We knew then that epidemic influenza
was prevalent among the boys Of the army md navy
in cantonmens and in barracks, in and near phI5
depha But the authorities poohpoohed the idea that
the civilian population would be attacked and virtually
no preventive steps were taken
The traditional trouble with Phiadelphia's aitindc
toward The prevention Of communicable sborne dis
eases Is that our c0mmander-nchief has been Genera,
Apathy, and our tnon)executiye officer Major Dllaorv
Evening Journal readers win recall that week ago |
Dr. Joseph p Wales. one Of Wimington's most repre-
sentative and reputable physicians Insisted that the
streets of our city filthy that as an aid 70 the
checking of the epidemic Of Spanish influenza. thew
should be flushed and cleaned by the Street and Sewer
Department Days have passed. thousands OF persons
have sckened many have died. and the streets OF VII
mington substantially dirty today as they were
when DR.. Wales made his public appeal for a ceanun
What is needed here in Wilmington is another Kr,sen
"a public official who spends his time doing things 10
stamp out the epidemic instead OF fashionng labored
excuses for not doing them
Prince Max, OF Baden, the German Chancellor NAV
,e catspaw OF the Kaiser but II will be that much
he worse for the Hohenzolerns. What Germany needs