The sun., 1918-10-08
INFLUENZA CASES
SHOW DROP OF 485
But Copeland Prepares 1900
Beds in Overflow Hos \
pital Wards.
OPENS "CLEARING HOUSE"
Decides Anew to Keep Schools
Open-Spitters Are
Fined $40 Each.
OPENS "CLEARING HOUSE"

With practically all the hospitals In
The greater city crowded because of the
demands made by the influenza epidemic
DR.. Royal S. Copeland. City Health
Commissioner. established yesterday
overflow wards in the Municipal Lodging
House, st. Johns Guild House, South
Beach, Staten Island, and the never be-
fore used pavilion No. OF the Kingston
Avenue Hospital. Brooklyn. This means
an addition OF 1900 beds when all are
in, and they are going in fast
There are 10000 hospital beds in the
city, of which 10000 are in so-called pri-
vate institutions. DIR. Copeland said last
night that II was estimated about 500 OF
these we're vacant
The Health Commissioner established
yesterday a clearing house in his Office
to which James Murray. director of the
Board Of Ambulance Service, will furnish
each day a report of the number OF va
cant beds In each hospital under the
direction of his board.
4S5 Fewer Cases Yesterday.
Besides doing all these things the busy
Commissioner found a sufficient number
OF nurses to take care Of the patients
sent to the new overflow wards, issued
An appeal for more nurses to meet the
city's emergency, conferred with depart
rnent heads as to the wisdom of holding
fast to the decision that the public
schools should not be closed. received re-
ports that the new regulations as to
work and play hours to avoid congested
travel was working well and analysed
physicians reports, which showed a de-
crease of ass in new cases or 1npuenza
Ah.NN NnxxFN 40 ln1 n
pneumonia for twenty-four hours ending
at 10 A. NJ, as compared with the figures
for the preceding similar period.
'The reports surely are gratifying,
DIR. Copeland said. "Of course the fig
ures may be deceptive, as reports early
IN the week sometimes are. and perhaps
We may have to wait until Wednesday.
hut Il does look as IL the disease VIII
burn itself out within a week.
I'VE took pains last night to call up
all the hospitals to fird ort the eVn"t
situation, Certain hospitals are very
crowded. Others have some vacant beds.
BEGINNING tomorrow We will have list
daily OF the number Of beds available in
each hospital"
DR.. Copeland explained the workings
Of this clearing house" with the aid OF
Mr. Murray of the Board of Ambulance
Service, which has charge of the citys
the care Of patients. and said that he
rad also arranged with the navy so II
viii no longer assign patients to hospi-
tails directly but will do SO through the
Department OF Health.
Asks Private Hospitals Aid.
DR. Copeland sent this telegram to the
uuperintendents of all private hospitals:
During the epidemic can you not keep
all possible beds open for influenza and
pneumonia and ask your doctors TO post
pone non-emergent operations AZ i've
duty? Please inform Health Depart
nlent each morning Dy telephone res-.rd-
ing vacancies and report cases admitted
as promptly as possible. This depart
ment will refer only such patients as ur-
gently require hospital care"
The Commissioner explained that the
department has taken over one floor OF
the Municipal Lodging House and has
Nepared so beds for epidemic patients.
rho total capacity OF the place will be
900 beds. Pavilion No. 3 Of the King
rton Avenue Hospital began filling up
with patients early in the day. The pa
viiion will accommodate total OF 400.
Seventy beds were provided for st.
Johns Guild House at South Beach,
which the city has takenNover for the
emergency. The total bed capacity will
he 400. DR.. Copeland said yesterday:
II am authorized 10 say as to the
condition OF camps and cantonments
That the SUPERINTENDENT sent here for
every army nurse. Every nurse in the
United States Army has been requisi-
toned for duty in the army camps.
II want a dozen doctors to go 10
Pennsylvania received a telegram to-
day stating that conditions are appalling
at Minersville. The doctors are all Ill.
80 many miners are sick that the out
tut OF coal Is being reduced l have
already sent six physicians to Pottsville
end we need twelve more.
1--WE want to appeal to the doctors OF
ihe city to keep every patient at home
in his own house, providing the sani-
fary conditions Justify keeping patients
there. We want to take the pressure of
she hospitals. II a doctor finds his owr
Hospital cannot take patients he car
call on the Health Department Through
our new clearing house we will know
where to send them. They can tele.
phone TO the influenza clerk"
Mamie Lyons, q nurse in the willard
Parker Hospital, who lived In 307 East
135th street, died yesterday from inau'
enza. which she contracted while nurs-
Ing patients.
I'VE try to get nurses TO wear mask,
sud. but some of them won't do IL
p'he result is many very serious cases
among nurses.
with the demands of the war, th'
large number OF patients In homes
,yhcih are taking over many nurses en-
gagged In private practice and the mum
Der of nurses who are Ill. We are very
short of nurses. We would be glad I,
pet any women who are familiar VIII
nursing. The department will pay
them"
some spItters Fined $50.
The departments sanitary officer
summoned to court yesterday 1852 pub
Nc spitters,'' l2S of whom wero fined
Eleven got of with suspended sentences
Nobody was discharged The violator
OF the anti-spitting ordinance were fneC
81, So. 81 and $50.
GaGistrato Crotch in the Washington