The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-07
BAN FOR Topeka
To Be Ordered If Flu Doesn't
Decrease-BrOwn.
Health Director Plans Drastic
Action Next Week.
CLOSING WILL Be GENERAL
Fifty-One New Cases in City in
Twenty-Four Hours.
Twelve-Day-Old Child Victim of
Disease Today.
WILL Be GENERAL


sweeping, will be clamped on Topeka
the first OF next week. IL the flu situa-
ton does not show Improvement DIR.
Earle G. Brown, city health officer.
said today. If it is finally decided
that such action by the city health
department is imperative, the quaran-
tine and closing order will be gem
eral: there will be no discrimination,
Doctor Brown previously had statedz
While no announcement has been
made yet of the quarantine method
contemplated by the board of health.
it is presumed that regulations pro-
hibiting all public meetings and clos
ing schools, theaters dance halls and
pool halls and other social and amuse-
ment places. will be issued.
II am not ready to make a definite
announcement regarding quarantine
yet" said Brown, but If the situation
does not improve, ii will be necessary
to issue a closing order We had
hoped-and still hope-that such ae-
ton would not be necessary in To-
peka. as ii has in many other cities in
Kansas. At first, this city was hit
only very lightly by the epidemic but
now the seriousness or the situation
cannot be disregarded. While we do
not want to work hardship on peo-
pie in general and business houses in
particular by an influenza ban. we will
not hesitate to order on such quar-
antine IL the interests Of public health
demand it,
No Sign of Abatement.
! The epidemic showed no signs OF
abatement here today. Fifty-one new
cases had been reported at noon since
S:35 Friday afternoon. Seventy nine
/ cases were reported during the saf
period late Thursday and Friday
morning. but as epidemics are spas
modic. this does not indicate a let-up.
I ri ~ fo-
tai. One flu case had developed into
pneumonia today.
Influenza and lack of proper nutri-
tion proved too powerful a foe for
of Mr.. and Mrs. j. II. Liggett, oe
iShorey She died this morning at n
local hospital. The mother. who was
also stricken with the flu, is inprov-
ing When she was only eight days
old, Baby Liggett went without nurs-
ling for day and half. Then she
was given a water diet by nurses and
finally nursed a little. 1t was thought
she might recover, but the grim
reaper took his toll today
There was one death Friday from
broncho-pneumonia. A six-year-old
negro boy. Robert Irwin, 107 East
Eighteenth street. was the victim.
Forty-one flu patients now have
been admitted to the emergency hos
pital. There is crying need for
nurses there and elsewhere in the city.
according to Robt d. McGiffert,
health commissioner, today.
Quarantine All Victims.
/ Doctor Brown announced. today that
the health department was having in
| fluenza notices printed and that
houses would be carded for flu soon,
as in the case OF other CONTAGIOUS
/, diseases. The health officer deplored
the fact that people are sending their
children to school when they had colds
and are not reporting influenza cases.
in many instances. Children had been
found attending school with tempera-
lures of 103 and 104, he said. Items
about persons recovering from in
i fluenza who had never been reported
to the health department have ap-
peared in the papers, he declared.
Doctor Brown urged again the neces-
sity of everybody cooperating with his
department in stamping out the dis
ease.
The city health department will re-
main open Sunday, it was announced
J today.
Tragedies in connection with the
epidemic continued to be reported to-
day. The latest is that of the Keller
family. living at Gil North Jackson.
Thursday. they were quarantfned be-
cause one Of the children had con-
tracted scarlet fever. Friday the
rIo,her took down with flu and today
the father took flu and the other two
I cf-lcl on contracted scarlet fever. The
health department is hunting for a
nurse and, in the meantime. the city
Is providing the family with fuel and
tt Provident association is furnish-
ing food.
Boy. 8. Epidemic Hero.
A story of the unselfish and tireless
services performed by boy of eight
for his mother is told by city health
Officers. The woman's husband was
killed in France and she has been sup
porting her son. She took flu a week
ago and : brother, II, came here from
out of town to take care of her. He
also took down with the disease, and
the boy of eight has been taking care
of both of them ever since. cooking.
doing the housework. giving medicine
and doing everything necessary in
: sickness. When the nurse asked him
what he cooked for the family's meals
he replied. Oatmeal" and added that
1t was all he knew how to cook. He
: said he was not hungry. The night
before the nurse arrived he told his
, mother to call him during the night
if she needed him. He got up twice
to wait on her. The family is not in
: poor circumstances.
: Doctor Brown tells of another case
where man walked into a local doc
/ for his boy, who. he said. had little
: prescription. unless he could see ths
} boy. He saw him three hours later
: and found he had a temperature OF
/, 104. Last night the boy was delirious
J and it took two persons to hold him
in