Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-07-31
PREDICTS ANOTHER {
epidemic OF FLU
State Health Officer, DR.. McCor.
mack, Gives Some Timely
Advice On Subject

Reasoning by analogy, there will
be another outbreak Of influenza in
kentucky this fall, according to Dir.
Arthur T. Mccormack, State health
officer, who addressed the Red
Cros Institute at the University of
Kentucky this week.
Statistics show, he said "there
has always been an outbreak the frs;
and second years after the epidemic,
not as extensive as the epidemic
itself, extensive enough to cause a
radical increase over the ordinary
death rate"
According to DR.. Mccormack, A.
900 die from pneumonia in the state
every year while last year $4,000 died
this cause. Reasoning from our
own and previous epidemics," he
said, eff no precautions are taken the
death rate this year will be between
5000 and 100000.
"That death rate is wholly unneces-
saIy," continued DR.. Mccormack.
"The death rate should be nothing
like 1000 and year if every individual
in every county of Kentucky would
assist by doing the simple things
necessary If they would do this now
the death rate in 1919 would be less
than i'm 1917, when there was no epi-
demic."
In the first place, DR.. Mccormack
advised everybody to be inoculated
against influenZa-pnuemonia during
the last two weeks of August OF the
first two weeks of September. The
vaccine used is very simple and pro-
duces practically no reaction. Of
more than 100000 inoculated last
year only three died of pneumonia,
according to the State health officer.
DR.. Mccormack also advised, in
addition to the innoculation, that
when one takes cold he should take
the proper medicine and go to bed,
remaining there until he is well. His
room should be well-ventilated and
re should avoid coming in contact
with any members of his own family.
Especially should one having a cold
keep away from theatres, churches
and other places where crowds are
gathered.
''If every one would do this" DR..
Mccormack asserted, "there would
be no epidemic and practically no
deaths from influenza and pneu-
monia."
Every year in Kentucky there are
$4,000 deaths from preyentable dis
eases he said, but conditions are
gradually improving. Since 1910
for instance, the death rate from
diptheria has, been reduced one-tenth
because antitoXin has been given in
time and because the disease is
now recognized more quickly. The
typhoid fever death rate has also
been reduced 80 per cent in that
time.
"But what we ought to do", said
DIV. Mccormack, "is not only to re-
duce the. death rate, but eliminate
the diseases themselves y in these
classes. This could be done at much
less cost than the people of Ken
lucky have now.
ut is true few more doctors
would be necessary, but in the long
run much money would be saved. An
individual cannot purchase, health,
but a community can by establishing
proper conditions" u 5s
Dr. Mccormack recommends a
health department in every county of
the State as rapidly as it is possible
to provide trained officers. 5y ~
I'll would be easy to elect one to
this office sas; we do a sheriff and let
him learn during his incumbency how
to administrate, but about the time
he learns someone else wins out and
gets the job.