Evening star., 1920-01-26

A total of 21S new cases OF influenza.
with nine deaths, were reported to the
District health department for the
twenty-four hours ending at noon to-
day.
This is the greatest number of new
cases reported for any one day since
influenza became prevalent here about
January /. The number of deaths IS
also the largest for any similar period
since the present recurrence of in
fiuenZa began.
New Cases reported today bring
the total up to 1.765 cases reported TO
the District health department. with
a total of thirtytwo deaths.
The health department called atten- :
ton to the fact that while the number
Of deaths due to influenza has been
large, it is not to be compared with
the period from october / to Is, 1918,
when S72 deaths were reported.
1t also was stated that more than
fifty recoveries from influenza attacks
had been reported to the health de-
partment in the last twenty-four
hours.
Deaths Reported Today.
Deaths reported to noon today were:
Henry Hull. thirty-eight years. 2156
twenty five years. 407 Elm street
northwest: May 3. Behrens. forty
years. George Washington Hospital;
Ella Eva Talbert, sixty-four years
1889 Park road; T. Lester Hager. thir-
ty-three years, Georgetown Hospital
Ruth Burford Trammell. twenty-six
years. 1918 10th street southeast;
George Raymond Whitehead. thirty
years, U. s. Naval Hospital; Joseph
William King, thirty-three years, U. 8
Naval Hospital; May P. Forbes. eighty
years. 1882 Belmont street northwest
New influenza cases reported to the
District health Office yesterday number
ed 1873, with seven deaths.
DR.. William c. Fowler. District health
officer. repeated today his belief that
the disease has reached practically a
stationary stage, as the daily number
of new cases reported has been nearly
level for the last five or six days.
Cases Mt Walter Reed Hospital.
1t was reported today that 100 cases
Of influenza have developed at Walter
Reed Hospital. Dr. Mahlon Ashford, ex-
ecutive officer Of the hospital, stated
however, that no quarantine has beer
established there as yet. So far mos
Of the cases. ii was stated. have beer
mild in type. Today's reported cases
are the first that have been announced
at Walter Reed Hospital since the pres
ent recurrence.
Shortage OF Nurses Serious.
Shortage of nurses to care for in
fluenza cases, it was stated by heads
of the District Of Columbia Chapter
of the Red Cross. has become a seri-
Gus problem. Trained nurses. it was
stated. are not to be had. and prac-
tical nurses are increasingly scarce
More than 400 woman volunteers have
enrolled in classes in home hygiene
and home care of the sick, according
to Miss Elizabeth Lewis who stated
nj ha Al
Wilson Normal. Eastern. Central ano
Mckinley high schools. and at Arm
strong. Dunbar and Miner colored
high schools. A class also has beer
organized at Freedmen's Hospital, all
of the classes being taught by Red
Cross instructors. Graduate and prac-
tical nurses are requested to enroll al
once with the District OF Columbia
Chapter of the Red Cross for nursing
service. The Red Cross will pay fol-
the services of these volunteers.
Diet Kitchen Aids.
Mrs. Allyn X. Capron and Mrs. Fred
erick Barclay, with a number of vol
unteer assistants and drivers of auto
mobiles are using the Washington
making and distributing soups and
broth to influenza patients. The
kitchen was kept open all day yester-
day, and is operating at its capacity
today, and it was stated that addi-
tional volunteers for this work will
be welcome. Women with nursing ex-
perience are asked to telephone to
Miss Anna ]. Greenlees. main 1910. to
enroll for nursing service in the pres
ent emergency.
Every effort is being made by the
District health department to hold the
disease in check. or at least to pre-
vent any marked increase. inspectors
of the department are vigilantly
watching all soda fountains. lunch
rooms and other places subject to sani-
sterilization of glasses. cups. etc.
About 25 per cent of the clerks and
employees in the Treasury Department
was reported sick today, most of them
suffering from influenza, grip or colds.
Gives whisky to Hospitals.
Gift of more than 500 quarts Of whisky
to the hospitals of the city by Supt.
Warrington Of the Union station was
" elcomed by the institutions and by
physicians today as big aid in treat
ing influenza cases. The liquor was part
of the stock that has been stored in
property rooms at the Union station
since the city went dry, having been
taken from persons bringing it into the
CITY from Baltimore and other places.
Similar disposal of large quantities
of whisky and other liquors in the pos
session OF the police department is i'm
possible, according to John E. Laskey.
district attorney. and Supt. Pullman.
because of the fact that this liquor is
the evidence in the cases against the al
legged bootleggers and others from whom
IL was taken, and the police department
is powerless to dispose Of it unless the
cases in which it figures are disposed of.
Condition at the government hotels, on
Union station plaza, it was stated today
by Miss Marlean James. manager. re-
main practically unchanged. with sew
enty cases of influenza being treated in
the infirmary and annex. the latter for
merly the recreation hall. The In
structiye Visiting Nurse Society is CO.
operating with the hotel management
and nursing staff in caring for the pa
tients.
DEPARTMENTS Hnrd Hit.
Sick reports of other government
departments today showed how hard
the forces of clerks and other en-
ployes has been hit. The Post Office
Department with force of 1,400. re-
ported 223 sick, according to Chief
Clerk McArdle. The State Department.
with a force of about 1000. reported
more than SEQ, or about 33 per cent.
sick. The Department of Labor. with
about $50 employees. reported 1870
sick. The Navy Department. with
about 1000 employees. reported more
.A.- 9nn ~frlr the city noSt office