The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1920-02-10
FIGHTING INFLUENZA.

New York. like all other places is fighting the in
nuenza epidemic tooth and toe nail and the observations
OF Dr. Copeland. city health commissioner. viii be of
absorbing interest TO all communities. He says:
"A school child with a cold should be sent to a
room until ne can be examined. II he has a temperature
or is found to have influenza he il sent home in thc
care Of the Board of Health md one Of our nurses
or doctors determines at once whether his home condit-
ions are such that he can be given the proper isolation
TO protect the other members Of the household and the
proper care 10 nimself. If not. ne is taken 10 q hos
pital. IT home conditions are satisfactory our reure&
sentau4vs find out whether the tally has O private
physician. and if not a physician Of the Board Of Health
takes charge of the case.
"Now. how much better it has been to have those
child-eu under the constant observation of qualified
persons than TO close the schools. let the children run
the ~ eets and assemble when and where they would
and If they get influenza TO let them get it under con-
ditions Of which the health department had no know
ledge and in which it was not prepared from the start
to deal with the situation in the best way.
Now about the theaters," DR.. Copeland continued.
Il never had any doubts in my mind about the big
modern sanitary theaters. The only question of infec-
tion was in the hole-in-the-waU moving picture shows
Some OF these had low ceilings and no direct doors and
the windows opening into the air. sometimes their
artificial ventilation systems We're defective or not o-
Grating. such places were breeding grounds for the
disease. Without saving anything to the public about
it, agents OF the department of health. the police de-
partment and the bureau Of licenses inspected every
place of entertainment in New York City. and dozens
Of houses of the sort 1 have described were closed with
out any public statement being made.
My purpose in doing it all in this way, without
issuing general closing orders and making a public
furry over the situation. was to keep down the danger
Of panic" Dr.. Copeland went on TO explain. Il felt
that one Of my prime duties was TO keep this city from
going mad on the subject Of influenza. My aim was to
prevent panic, hysteria, mental disturbance. and thus
to protect the public from the condition Of mind that
in itself predisposes 10 physical ills. I attempted TO
maintain the morale of New York City. I wanted peo-
pie TO be able TO go about their business without con-
slant fear and hystericaI sense of calamity. OF course
the necessary warnings were issued against crowds, etc.
and the necessary things were done.
All along. my greatest anxiety was over the mat
ter of transportation. After all. there is not much
danger from theaters and churches: people who are
sick do not go much to the theater or 10 church. But
sick people do 90 10 work.
Il have no doubt that the most dangerous means
of transmitting disease was the subway. Undoubtedly
there were many cases of influenza in the cars. and
these infected others. Many a man who was sick must
have felt that he bad to go to work, and must have
taken his disease into the subway and spread it to other
people without realizing what he was doing.