Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-29
|NFLUENzAREPORTS
SHOW FALL IN U. S.
Improvement Noted Among
Civilians, Army and Navy.
Military Vaccine Ready.

! Tho influenza situation among cl-
villains in Army camps and at naval
stations is. for the greater part. Inn
proved. according to reports from the
public health service and the surgeon
generals Of the Army and the Navy.
In many sections Of the country i'm
provemsnts are noted among civilians
Surgeon General BREASTED Of the Navy
announced that the epidemic in ten
naval districts had passed. and that it
IL on the wane in all other places ex-
cept Paris Island. s. c.. and Mare
Island. Cal. A sharp increase in the
incidence Of cases for the forty-eight
hours ending yesterday noon because
Of the arrival of new men at camps
was reported in the south and south
west.
| The surgeon general Of the Army
announced today that vaccination
against pneumonia is available for
every officer. enlisted man and civilian
employe Of the Army. The vaccine
discovered is said to have proved a
preventive of pneumonia following in
fuenZa and Is being produced in guam
! titles at the Army Medical School. It's
| extensive use is expected to lower ma
terially the number of cases of pneu-
monia in the Army this winter.
sca1ded Dishes Ordered.
| Improperly washed dishes and eat
ing utensils have been found by the
factor In the spread of influenza and
other respiratory diseases. It was OBJ
served by sanitary inspectors at camps
that the incidents Of influenza among
men who washed their dishes in luke
warm water was four times greater
The surgeon general today ordered
that all dishes be washed hereafter in
boiling water.
Among Army camps. Camp Cody,
N M, showed the greatest increase
OF influenza during the forty-eight-
hour period. 1t had 617 new cases,
while Camp Bowie, Tex, had 482, and
Camp Shelby, Miss. 315.
Total influenza cases jumped Sum-
day to 2,4S6 in camps from the low
record of 1902 reported Saturday, and
there was a further increase yester-
day to 1881. Pneumonia cases Sun
day were 495, against 3S6 the day
before. Yesterdays figure was 431,
a slight decrease from Sunday.
Deaths, however, continued to decline
with 1913 Sunday and 1874 yesterday.
Disease Hits the Smaller Places.
Forty-two states continue to fight
the disease among civilians. In many
cities where the disease gained
influenza sufferers with hundreds Of
pneumonia cases and numbers of
deaths, the epidemic appears to have
run its course and is under control.
However, smaller communities are
being struck daily, the disease ex-
| tandinpv n MINING 1pto ia
Affecting coal production and causing
much sickness and many deaths.
! Most of the large cities are still
suffering from the disease. Public
health authorities, aided by state and
local health boards and other agencies
are seeking to gain control of the
| epidemic. Owing to the large popu-
lations of these cities and congested
| conditions. the proportions number
of cases is large, and, corresponding
and deaths are far greater than in
smaller cities and in towns. For the
same reason the time required for
the epidemic to run it's course in the
largest cities is more extended than
in smaller communities.
Mining regions suffering from the
disease include sections of Arizona.
Colorado. Illinois and West Virginia.
the northern portion. has reached its
crest in the central part and is de-
veloping rapidly in the southern part.
Rural sections and coal mining dis
tricts have been hard hit, coal produc-
ton having been reduced about one
third. Chicago has reached it's peak.
In the mining districts and other
mountain towns of Colorado the cpl
demic is now at its height and the death
rate is stated to be high. Conditions in
cities of West Virginia are better. while
the situation in scattered mining dis
tricts of the state is said to be bad.
Maryland reports improvement in con-
ditions Minnesota reports that the gen.
eral situation is fast getting better. New
Jersey, which has been suffering Sc
verely, has shown improvement in the
last few days. In Virginia also i'm
lproVement is noted.