New Britain herald., 1919-07-28
TO FIGHT THE "EIU.'

ko Y IlSHI THE "FIl.
 Alarmed at the great damage done all over the United States by the spread of the so-called Spanish Inf1u- enza" and urged on by letters from constituents, Congress is planning to take action which will result in the control and possible elimination of that disease should it appear again in this country which physicians tell us is very likely, In the Senate Warren c. Harding has introduced a bill which was presented in the House by Simeon D. Tess, to set aside the sum of five million dollars for an investi- gation of the epidemic, the cause of influenza, it's cure and methods of pre- vention. The money will be spent un- der the direction of the United States Public Health Service and the meas ure is endorsed by the American Med ical Association
 During the last four months of 1918 47O,0O0 human beings were claimed as victims of the ''fu' and during the
  900 died. During the lsst 12 months, figures the London Times, there were six million deaths from the disease in the orld. In the United States there were six deaths from the influenza to every one due to the war. In addition to the direct results of the epidemic there were proba bly, a million children and women affected by the loss of their bread winners. In New Britain, in Connecticut and all over the United States charity organiza tions are harder pressed than ever before to take care of the widows and orphans, who owe : their destitute condition largely to the ~tu.' This city now has many chil- dren dependent upon it for whom no home can be found. Institutions for the care of orphans are so crowded that 1t is impossible to place any youngsters in any of them One par ent IS taking care of many of our needy little ones in cases where they should be in a home. Lack of labor
 
 prices of essentials is partially due to the epidemic which removed so many of our workers
 The expenditure of five millions to combat the disease will be welcomed by all of us. Of course this does not give sure promise, of stamping out the trouble, but it does show that efforts will be made to do so. The origin of the disease and it's treatment are still matters of more or less doubt but the methods of prevention are better known since our recent experiences
 It has been found that the germ is l a very delicate one in some respects | It will not survive long away from heat, that of the human body, for in- 1 stance. It is claimed by authorities l that five minutes in the open air is too l smuch for the flu bug, who will turn l up his toes in the cold air and become l dead. But he is very aggressive in his | desire for pastures new and may be 1 very readily transferred from one per- son to another through the agency of i a sneeze or cough. The inhalation of 1 air which has been saturated with the ]! recent cough of an infected person is | sure of inoculating the breather with l influenza. Flu masks are very val uable in fighting this inhalation, as l the mesh will stop the germ and he l will die before he has entered the nose or throat. One who has the disease will cough or sneeze into the mask l which will again imprison the germ l and kill it. The flu mask is the best method of prevention and the cheapest. The sight of a whole city progressing about it's tasks with flu" | masks over it's nose and throat might not be an unusual one this fall. Its ! inconvenience would soon be compen- Sated. k hJN