The New York herald., 1920-01-27

same control of the other five million we
could put down the epidemic in week
from reports received from the Or
ficials of the Department Of Education as
well as the physicians and nurses in at
tendance in the schools | am pleased TO
state that conditions among the school
children are very good At the beginning
Of the epidemic this year a majority of
cases were among children, but since then
our statistics show the disease is local to
the age group between sixteen and forty
five years"
Dr.. Copeland sent the following letter
10 the heads of the subway, elevated and
surface car systems of the city
Complaints come to me that some OF the
subway guards are in the habit of spit
ting on the platforms or into the roadbed
of your railway line. Needless 20 say,
this is against the law, and while we have
the numbers of some of these men we are
going to give every one chance to do
better in the future. Repeated complaints
come to this office that smoking or the
carrying of lighted cigars or cigarettes Is
common practice in the subway and sur
face lines. This is against the law and
cannot be tolerated especially during an
epidemic of this sort Every effort should
be made by all your employees to prevent
splitting in public places. Dry sweeping is
contrary to the Sanitary Code, and en-
]
liable to arrest IL they indulge In this
practice.
I'VE are anxious to have the straps and
backs of the seats frequently cleansed.
Influenza is hand conveyed disease, and
unless every precaution Is taken the trans
portation lines may be the means OF in
creasing the prevalence OF this scourge."
Forty Nurses Needed.
DR.. Copeland said that although he had
received word from more than a hundred
nurses in this and other cities who con-
sented to aid in the fight against the cpl
demic. he was still forty nurses short of
the number required. He said many tele-
phone calls and kilograms were received
from nurses in Boston. Rochester and Bal
timore. and all of the nurses said they will
come to this city Immediately
I'VE have made arrangements to care
for the out of town nurses without charge
in the Willard Parker Hospital and in
various housing centres OF the Red Cross,
he said "As soon as We swear in a nurse
her pay OF IS a day begins.
THE Health Department never was bet
ter equipped to handle an epidemic of any
kind" declared DIR. Copeland. This after
noon we had meeting of the heads of
various social and settlement workers.
organizations TO arrange for cooperation
and coordination in the fight on the
disease. There were present Miss lillian
Wald, chatham OF the Nurses Emergency
Council and head of the Henry Street Set
tlement; Miss Annie Goodrich. Of Teach
ers' College; Miss Isabelle Evans of the
Nurses Service of thS American Red
Cross, and who is secretary OF the Nurses
Emergency Council; Miss Elizabeth Gregg
superintendent of nurses of the Health De-
partment; Miss Jano T.. Hitchcock, Of the
Red Cross Bureau of Informa tion of the
Atlantic Division: Miss Jane Pincus, rep
resenting the community councils; Miss
Indo Albaugh. OF the Red Cross. and Miss
Mary Arnold, OF tho Child Welfare Asso-
citation.
There have been so many distorted
statements made by newspapers outside
the state and abroad regarding my atti-
tudo toward tho use OF whiskey in influ-
enza that 7 consider it necessary to make
"A formal statement
Regarding whiskey.
"All through the Epidemic OF 1918 and
Up to the present moment, I have never
recommended whiskcy as a preventive
OF in fluenza. Personally. do not consider
it of any value in the prevention and
treatment OF influenza. There arc certain
stages OF pneumonia where stimulation is
necessary, and many reputable physicians
look upon whiskey or brandy as the best
drug for this purpose.
"As Health Commissioner IL is not my
business to advise treatment or TO criucise
the methods of treatment OF any disease
it is my business TO prevent disease.
do feel however. since reputable practi-