New-York tribune., 1919-01-29
Influenza Daily
Death Rate Now
l. More Than 500
DR.. Copeland Not Alarmed
by Conditions, While Hem
ry st. Settlement Finds
City Faces Rev Epidemic

According to Health Commissioner
Royal S. Copeland the influenza situa-
tion is lot so serious but that it can
be checked by the Health Department.
Miss Lillian N. Wald, head OF the Hen
~ Street settlement says the revival
Of the disease already has reached
such proportions that if prompt re-
medal steps" are not Immediately
taken" the city may shortly find itself
IN as desperate a plight as it was last
October, when the epidemic reached its
peak with daily death toll that aver
aged we'll above 5000.
Yesterday, Miss Wald said. deaths
from pneumonia and influenza were
more numerous than at any time since
the plague was in its most virulent
stage. Dr. Copeland reported an average
daily infue "a death rate of between
800 and 500 for the greater city, with a
total Of 7o9 deaths yesterday. Thls is,
however, he declared no more than is
TO be expected, although it scales about
125 per cent higher than the CORE
spending average for the preceding five
years.
Increase is Natural
This is the time of year, though"
said the Health Commissioner, when
influenza and pneumonia cases are
naturally on the increase They will
probably continue to increase until the
spring comes. That does not mean,
however, that We are threatened with
another epidemic. We are not. and it
is of the utmost Importance that the
public does not succumb to panic on
the subject. With the experience the
department had last fall there is no
danger of it's being stumped by any
contingencies that may arise at this
stage"
The root Of the difficulty, according
to Miss Wald, lies in the dearth of
nurses.
"If persons will only isolate influenza
cases as soon as they appear" said
DR.. Copeland, "the chance of con-
tagion will be minimzed.'
Miss Wald protests that in the con-
gested districts, where the message Of
isolation has to be taken by nurses in
person, the epidemic revival has al
ready reached stage beyond the re-
sources OF the nursing force available.
Tells of Pathetic Case
Miss Dorothy Cafin, of the Henry
Street Settlement, speaking for Miss
Wald. said:
"We have had to discontinue our
work in maternity cases altogether as
a result of the influenza situation.
Among the epidemic calls that we have
been unable to answer are numerous
double pneumonia, bronchial pneu-
monia and acute nephritis cases.
zone particularly pathetic case Of
cic ~ f.
in which there were two expectant
mothers. Both these women became
infected. Then the children and finally
one Of the husbands in the family fell
i'll. After much searching we were
able to find q woman who had been a
cook in q nurses home who agreed to
go in and look after these people. and
We managed to get ona of the mothers
into hospital. But that was as near
to expert aid as we could come That
is the sort of thing that is happening
with more and more frequency now,
conditions being particularly desperate
in Fhe Bronx and on the East Side"
The settlement nursing service, Miss
Catfin said, now has 155 nurses and
seven aids available for service.
eve should, thought she declared,
"have 100 nurses and at least twenty
five aids"
DR.. Copeland announced last night
that arrangements had been under
taken by Dr.. Harris, of the Bureau of
Preventable Diseases, to reopen the
Department Of Health's clearing house
Tomorrow. This, he said, would pro-
vide 1914 additional nurses from DR..
Harris's department and 225 from the
Bureau Of Child Hygiene. In case Of
dire emergency the Health Department
has the names of thousands of women
who can be surnnnnnnd