Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-31
MANNING CHART
PROVES WISDOM
OF FLU CLOSING
Many Deaths to Be Reported
in Next Ten Days Because
Doctors Have Been
Delayed.

DR.. Manning, health commits
sioner, says that high death rate
may be looked for during the next
ten days from cases of influenza al
ready developed.
DR.. Manning has prepared inter
esting charts showing the progress
of the disease IN this city to it's eli
max and to its end. 1t shows un-
mistakably the wisdom of the clos
in; order. =
October 4, the closing day, there
wefe so cases reported in the city.
The daily number of new cases in
creased until October 10, when it
attained a maximum of SIS new
cases. Then it dropped rapidly I'M
ii. the present time, with only rs
new cases reported.
Total Deaths, 3lo.
The total number of deaths in
Omaha to date from the Spanish
influenza is 3l9. The total number
of cases reported so far is 5,l8l, in
dicating that about one person in
40 had the FLU" In addition to the
deaths mentioned there have been
So deaths at Fort Omaha.
Thirty-four~ deaths from Spanish
influenza in Omaha were reported to
the city, health commissioners Of
flee Wednesday, the largest num-
Der reported in one day. This is
due to the fact thatdoctors can re-
port deaths several days after they
occur. Only Is new cases were re-
ported, which is the smallest num-
Der reported in one day, and these
cases were very mild.
City>H Health Commissioner Man
ming reviewed the epidemic in Oma-
ha as follows:
Chart Is Prepared.
"On Friday. October 4th, by in
formation obtained from Fort Oma-
ha, it was learned that there had
been a large number of cases de-
veloped among the men in the pre-
ccding II hours. In view of the
fact that on October 2 and October
8 there had been great crowds in
the city. at which the soldiers had
freely intermingled, it was realized
that there had been a general ex-
posture of the inhabitants of the
city. Consequently, after consulta-
ton with the executive committee
of the Omaha Douglas County Med
ical Society, and conforming with
the suggestion of the surgeon gen.
eral of the United, States public
health service, it was decided to
close all public gatherings, includ-
ing theaters, moving picture shows,
churches and schools. This was
done solely to prevent, as far as
possible, further exposure.
THE chart is formulated from the
records of cases in the Office of the
of health. The height
Of the curve occurs five days after
the presumed exposure, which in
terval represents the period of in
cubation after which the disease
develops. The curve drops quite
rapidly in the next few days, thus
proving conclusively~ the value in
limiting contagion by the early
flosing order. The chart showing
The deaths reported indicates that |
the greatest number of deaths oc-
Cured about one week after the
greatest number of cases were re-
ported. The records show conclu-
sively that the number of cases, and
consequent death rate, have been
very much reduced by the early
closing orde--.
Public Aid Helps.
at should be mentioned that the
successful outcome of this~measure
has Been largely due to the almost
cooperation of the public
in enforcing the measures. A num-
Der of institutions have gone fur
Their than requested. Very great
thanks should be given to various
for their assistance in
combating the epidemic. Especial
ly should be mentioned the Visiting
Nurses, the Red Cross and the As
ISOLATED Charities. The hospitals
of the city have responded freelylto
the needs. This required isolation
of part of their buildings. By this
means alone large number of
lives have been saved"