Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-02-11
LIFTING OF FLU
BAN NOW SAFE,
SAYS DR.. BOND;
TO SEE BOARD
Health Commissioner Calls 1t Per
MISSILE, But Would Close
Again if Necessary.

DR.. B. F. Bond. public health COM
missioner, after attending meeting
of public health officials in Macon yes
terday, which had been called for the
discussion of influenza and how to
combat it, announced today, in state
ment prepared for the Times-RecoT-
der, that he considered it now "permis-
sible" to lift the ban on gatherings in
Americus.
At the same time he served notice
that, should the city board of health
decide to reopen, he would not hes.
itate or consider it childish, should
the disease re-appear, to order a fur
ther period of closing to combat it. He
declared in his statement that it con-
stituted notice to city health author
titles of his stand. He declared. sup
plementing the statement, that he
considered it safe to reopen and that
he would consult with the various
members of the board of health on the
subject. He made it plain that he
had no authority to remove the ban,
even with the repeal of the health or
dinance. He has authority to invoke
the ban, however.
N DR.. Bonds statement follows:
Several days ago I received an in>
vitation to attend a called conference
of the physicians and health officers of
Georgia to meet at Macon, Feb: 10th
to discuss influenza; and eager to as
certain if possible, and definite in
formation, I accepted the invitation
and it was a pleasure to be present
and hear the presentation of the diff
ferent theories as presented by the
different speakers, but after all that
was said and the pay past, l returned
home to find in our esteemed home pa
per an editorial under the caption:
''Have We Been All Wrong" carrying
practically the same sentiment as was
disclosed at the conference viz: Moth
ing definite.
II have never been very theoretical
and sometimes hardly practical, but
in an emergency have tried to apply
common sense and oftimes it appears
foolish but from the best information
I could gather at the conference at
Macon, influenza is an infectious and
contagious disease and persons so af-
fected should be isolated, but the ban
proposition was something different,
It's advocates claim benefits per Sc,
while some of those obiecting admitted
that probably the physicians would
not be swamped under, by closing and
that the invasion would be more slow,
though the same number would ulti-
mately be infected
''In some places where it was not
deemed advisable to put on the ban
their experiences were related We
were told how nurses and physicians
were summoned to help care for the
distressed and how hospitals were
improvised to meet the emergency and
that great good was done through
the Red Cross with ambulance at
taches.
I'VE may Have Been All Wrong,
but who showeth a better practical
way? / tried to 'theorize' that eli
matte conditions predOminated and
for several days hoped against doubt
till we, too, were nearly swamped and
hardly able to properly care for our
sick after waiting from Jan. 13 to
Jan. % for the wave to pass, but it
did not pass till after we had been
closed for two days. 1t may have been
a coincidence, but we were after re-
sults that had been obtained two times
before. I will not contend that our
closing affects other localities per Sc,
but l do believe, that with the pub
Iicity, Of the recrudescent, periods and
certain localities putting on the ban
the public generally is more careful
and such a condition is calculated to
produce "A coincidence
aA+ nresent we are merely cropping