The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-06

The peak of the epidemic has passed" said Dr. N. A. Barrett yester- day afternoon. We may expect to have influenza with us for another year at least, but as long as conditions remain as they are at present there is abso- lutely no cause for alarm. have prac- ticed medicine for 27 years and l never heard of an epidemic dying out in less than year, regardless of what proven. I tive measures had been adopted. Tell the people to be calm about it. I see no reason for closing anything"
 1 The health department is making a vigorous campaign to encourage the use of gauge everywhere and 1t is under stood that their efforts are meeting with cooperation on all sides. The mer- chants of Birmingham have agreed to require all their employees to wear these masks, and the Pastors union will ask their congregations also to wear them at church Sunday.
 At the Victory ball at the Country club tonight everyone will masquerade | in "flue protection besides their other lcamouflages. City officials are anxious to impress upon the public the neces- sity of wearing these masks whenever coming in contact with crowds, whether they be in elevators, street cars, movies, 1 theatres or other places of customary assembly.
 The Real Estate exchange, at it's meeting yesterday, passed a resolution offering its cooperation to the authori- ties in fighting the disease, and agree ing to abide by whatever suggestions that were made by the local health de- apartment. President Butler states that all realty agents will enforce the gauge mask provisions whenever the commis- 1 sion says the word.
 l Dr. Bowling issued the following statement yesterday on the situation: DIR. DOWLING'S STATEMENT
 "We are convinced that the wearing Of a simple gauge face mask is the most practical and efficient general method at our command to limit the spread of in- I fluenza. The cooperation of every or l ganization and every person in the city 1 of Birmingham and the entire communi- | ty is requested in our efforts to popular 1 ize this movement. Some cities have un- | dertaken to enforce this by law, but we 1 feel that the people of this district need l only to be called upon to wear these masks and it will be done more univer- sally than if an effort were made to enforce such a regulation by police ! methods
 "No person who declines to wear a l mask should have a right to suggest the closure of any place of business or school, when the protection afforded is So nearly absolute. Failure to wear the mask should indicate that the person is either immune or unafraid.
 1 These face masks consist of six layers I of cheese cloth or hospital gauge three inches square for child and four inches square for an adult, with tape or strings at each corner to be tied behind the head. When properly adjusted the mask l is Positively not uncomfortable. A per | son wearing one of these masks not only enjoys almost absolute protection | but the added satisfaction of Knowing 1 that he is not dangerous to his neighbor. It is suggested that the masks be ex- changed for fresh ones at intervals of several hours, but a soled mask is far better tban none at all
 | .'As great demand will be immediately | created for these masks, it is suggested 1 that these who have been so faithfully sewing and knitting for the Red Cross make up quantities of the masks and | place them at drug stores and other prominent places for sale at the cost of material. If enough people will wear | face coverings during the next few days 1 there will be no occasion to interfere with tLe normal activities of life.
 'J. D. BOWLING, NJ. D.,
 Health Officer"