Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-11
100000 DEATHS
LAID TO INFLUENZA
70 WEEKS TOLL, ACCORDING TO
BRITISH ESTIMATE.
Mortality Rate Said to be Four Times
That of War-Over 10000 Dead In
London alone-S,O00,000 Victims in
India.


India.
London, December 29.-Half q million deaths
a week from the influenza epidemic is the esti-
mate made in an article by the medical corre-
spondence of The Times, who writes:
Though estimates of deaths over the whole
world from any single epidemic are very diff
ficult to form, there seems to be reasonable
grounds for believing that some 100000 per-
sons have persisted of influenza and pneumonia
during the past twelve weeks. Business has
been interfered with by the epidemic in every
country in the world and enormous losses,
both in earning power and in trade. have been
suffered. The cost of the influenza war can
not be reckoned, but that it is colossal does not
admit of doubt.
This plague then. generally regarded with
eouanimity, is, it would seem, five times more
deadly than war. It has been estimated that
the war caused the death of 600 persons
m four ard Cne-half years. In the same period
at its epidemic rate influenza would have kllied
l0s, 900 G10. The visits of the raiding Gothas
to London were but summer shower compar'
cd with the deluge of germs which we have
Just received. The air raids cost London some
hundreds oe lives; the influenza has cost it up
ward of 10000.
'Never since the black death has such plague
hans. has plaugue been more stoicaly accept
cd In India alone over 100000 deaths occur
red. Bombay had $4,000 of these; Delhi. with q
population of only 200. 900, had 200 deaths day
The Punjab lost 250,000 persons. South Africa
suffered no less severely. In Cape Town 2'O0U
children were left destitute as a result OF the
disease, while the plague swept through the
native areas like fire. The Commonwealth OF
Australia sent a ship to Samoa with help be.
cause the disease was affecting 80 per cent OF
the natives. The white population was only
able to feed the living and bury the dead In
New Zealand public services were stopped and
business gravely disorganizcd.
THE ravages in America have been appall.
ing, nor has Canada escaped. In Ontario and
the Western Provinces no fewer than l0S doc
tors died of the epidemic, while the total death
| rate in Ontario alone was 5000 up to Novem'
Der. A large number of American Indians
have pershed Europe as a whole has suffered
in the same way. In Spain the epidemic was
described as truly awful In Barcelona tho
death rate was credby stated to be LOO daily
France has had her share; likewise Germany
and Austria.
| 1.-The epidemic began in Spain during las
summer. 1t was then mild and there was com
paratively few deaths. In that form 1t spread
across Europe visiting London about June.
| was treated by the pubic rather Us d Johe' 'i''
victims soon recovered. The epidemic reached
America, and in August and September we be
gan to hear very disquieting accounts of 1t. II
these months it. had practically disappeared
from London. October saw the beginning o.
the return journey and the beginning OF tht
present plague AS might have been expected
! the ports were first involved, Glasgow and Liv
erpool in particular suffering very heavily foi
a considerable time before other centres wer'
| affected Next the disease reached London, U
which no doubt it brought by travellers II
the through trains. From London it radiatet
again, visiting Birmingham. Nottingham an'
other centers 1t is still raging at full fur!
in the smaller country districts, which hav
now become involved.
| eff the disease travelled by train from tn
ports and in consequence infection was by con
tact and not air-borne. the epidemic was Ger
tainly preventable. though in our present stat
of medical organization prevention coul'
scarcely have been achieved. But the lessor
remains. Had the world possessed the neces
sary means to fight this dreadful plague 5000,
600 lives might have been spared. The nec'
of a new survey of the public health measure
has never been more forcby illustrated.