The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-19
ANXIOUS RUMORS ABOUT RECURRENCE .OF INFLUENZA NOT SUSTAINED BY FACTS Recent Cases for Most Part of Much Milder Type
 Says Health Officer BIG CROWDS AID IN
 CAUSING FLARE-UP Total of 115 Cases Reported Yester- day, With Four Burial Per
 mits for Flu or
 Pneumonia

| have been current in Birming ham that the influenza was in- creasing rapidly and that the official reports failed to indi- cate the true situation. These rumors have come to The Age Herald in many forms. l The Age-Herald, accordingly, took the matter up with the health authorities yesterday to ascertain the real situa- 1 tion.
 | Dr. J. D. Bowling, county health of | ficer made a formal statement in which he said that the facts do not justify the uneasiness and anxiety which have been apparent. He says the enormous crowds 1 brought together for the two peace eel ebrations caused a notable increase in the number of cases in the city, but not such as to justify undue apprehen- 1 sion. Most recent cases are of much milder type.
 | The. health officer says that rumors | that the health authorities are not re- 1 porting all cases are not borne out by | the facts and that such rumors do not oCSiii tO uSSclNe COUSluOIdtlol SlHNC lilCi E could be no basis for such an attitude on the part of the health authorities. | He says that only 115 new cases were reported in the city yesterday, with four l burial permits for influenza or pneu- 1 monia His formal statement, issued at l the request of The Age Herald, is as follows:
 | Inquiries reaching the department of health during the last AS hours in re- | sra IT n the al of inf tr, 1 Birmingham and vicinity would seem to justify a general statement in regard to l the true situation.
 l "Rumors have reached our ears that ! have no doubt gone the rounds for sev- eral days and have been the occasion 1 for degree of uneasiness and anxiety which the facts do not justify. One of 1 these rumors was to the effect that in- 1 formation as to the true situation was 1 deliberately being withheld. No motive or basis for such an attitude toward the public on the part of the health authori- ] ties here or elsewhere can be imagined ;, and for this reason this rumor does not
 seem to deserve consideration. WHEN AT ITS HEIGHT
 The. height of the epidemic in Bir- l mingh4m was reached about the 10th of October and by the last of the month had diminished to such extent that l all restrictions on public assembly were I withdrawn. At that time influenza was 1 not sufficiently prevalent, according to the information at hand, to be consid- l cred as constituting the proportions ordi- narily termed epidemic. The with l drawal of restrictions was done after 1 due deliberation on the part of air per-
 sons and bodies bearing any responsi- ] bility but not without the fear of the l return to normal activities being fol- :, lowed by at least temporary increase in the number of eases.
 s"rhis fear, however, was not j justified by subsequent events as the disease continued to subside,
 perhaps more rapidly thnn most
 people expected. Early last week
 1t was apparent that there was
 marked increase in the number of cases over the preceding week. Since then there has been q mOder- | ate. but steady increase but not to the point of causing alarm or fear
 that our experience of the past six weeks will be repeated.
 l elf 1t is recalled that during the | past week we have had two peace
 celebrations of considerable pro- portions, md that crowds strongly | predispOsed to the spread of influ-
 enxa, this sudden flnre-up should not he the occasion of much sur prise. 1t Is unfortunate tnat our expressions of joy over the peace
 should exact such penalty.
 CASES OF WILDER TYPE
 "Our information from physicians is to- the effect that most of the late cases are of milder type. It is free lily predicted that any damage coming from the crowds of the past week Vii rapidly subside and that influenza will soon assume it's normal incidence along with other communicable diseases
 'sThe experience of Birmingham re. flected in several communities over
 the country including Bessemer and l Leeds.
 'rhe people are strongly urged t. continue to observe all precautions
 possible to avoid contact and protect
 themselves and other from exposure At the present time influenza is not
 sufficiently prevalent to justify furthe,
 steps on the part of the authorities Only 115 new cases were reported i1 the city of Birmingham today with
 four burial permits for influenza oi pneumonia"
 WAR DEPARTMENT