“Seven deaths, and 64 new cases reported to
the medical health officer, was the toll of the Spanish influenza during the
past 24 hours. There was little or no sign of the abatement of the scourge, and
cases of distress were pathetically numerous.”
Hamilton Spectator. October 18, 1918.
Day after day, the news on
the influenza epidemic seemed to be alarming. The man at the eye of the
hurricane as regards public response to the situation was Hamilton’s Medical Health
Officer:
“The medical authorities are
taking heroic measures to stay the epidemic. Dr. James Roberts, medical health
officer, is the busiest man in Hamilton today. The chief step taken today was
the securing of the Hamilton Jockey club hotel, corner of Barton and Ottawa
street, for an emergency hospital. These premises had been rented by the East
Hamilton branch of the Great War Veterans’ association as a club house, but
when the board of health approached the veterans this morning, they gladly gave
the place over to be used as a temporary hospital. But a few beds are left in
the other institutions.
“The new hospital will be
used as much as possible for cases from boarding houses and hotels, it being
planned to keep patients at their homes as much as possible.
“Every nurse available, even
with only partial training, is being pressed into service to attend victims of
the scourge.”1
1 “Seven Deaths, 64 New Cases of Influenza :
Jockey Club Hotel As Temporary Hospital : Beds in Other Institutions Reported
Filled : Where Possible, Patients Will Be Kept at Home”
Hamilton Spectator. October 18, 1918.
The problems that Dr.
Roberts had to address in the health emergency could not only be addressed by
providing additional accommodation :
“Whole families reduced to
complete helplessness through the influenza was a sad feature of the cases
reported during the past twenty-four hours. Last night, two doctors came to the
board of health and asked for authorization to remove three entire families
suffering from the disease to the hospital. One of the families was huddled in
a garret. In this case, Dr. Roberts
ordered removal to the institution, but in the other two, they were kept in the
homes and nurses were dispatched to attend the sick and take care of the house.
This form of procedure is now being adopted in the case of whole families being
stricken, as no more families can be taken in the hospital.
“While stating that at present no further restrictions,
further than those announced in the proclamation yesterday were contemplated,
Dr. Roberts this morning emphasized that the board of health would take more
drastic measures if it saw fit.”
“The recommendation that
masks be worn at theaters and at other public assemblies pending the official
closing on Monday apparently does not meet with much favor, said Dr. Roberts.
At the theatrical performances, the ‘flu’ masks were distinctly unpopular, he
said. In cities across the border, a person subject to the disease, who appears
even on the street without a mask, is liable to a fine.”1
In the matter of whether the
wearing of masks was a necessary part of fighting the spread of the spread of
the epidemic, the opinion of Dr. Roberts was not the opinion of the city’s
physicians:
“Dr. W. F. Langrill, as well as many other
medical men, is strongly in favor of wearing masks while in contact with
patients who are afflicted. The doctors also insist that the patients wear
masks while they are working over them. The most efficient mask to wear, Dr.
Langrill says, is one made of three plys of butter cloth, 6 by 8 inches, with a
tape at each corner, so as to tie it over the ears and around the neck,
covering the entire face with the exception of the eyes.” 2
2“Organizing
to Combat the ‘Flu’ Outbreak : Veterans Will Turn Over Club House for Hospital
Purposes : Many New Cases Reported and Six More Deaths Recorded”
Hamilton Herald. October 18, 1918.
The city physicians were
working as hard as humanly possible in the face of the crisis:
“Doctors of the city are
working to the limit of endurance. One medical man, spoken to by a Herald
reporter last evening, stated that he was handling over 100 cases of ‘flu’ and
that the number was on the increase. Some doctors are of the opinion that
whisky is a good thing, while others describe it as ‘A whip on a tired horse,’
that has no lasting effect, and gives the patient no reserve energy. The ‘flu’
cases are being treated much as the grip. They state that the ‘flu’ as a
sickness is not a serious one, but is very serious when complications set in.”2
In other developments, the
Spectator reported that the matter of the ban of church services was drawing
different responses from different churches:
“Rev. Canon Daw, rector of
the Church of St. John the Evangelist, and Rev. W. P. Robertson, rector of the
Church of St. Thomas, waited upon the board of health this morning for further
particulars as to the ruling of the board on meetings of less than 25 persons.
The clergymen were hoping to arrange for small church meetings of less than 25,
but Dr. Roberts stated that the provisions of the latest enactment that no such
meetings be held, would have to be enforced.
“Rev. Dr. S. B. Nelson,
pastor of Knox church, announced this morning that his church would be closed
on Sunday, in spite of the fact that the official order does not come into
effect until Monday.
“ ‘If public meetings are a
means of spreading the ‘flu’ on Monday, they surely must be on Sunday,’ said
Dr. Nelson. ‘Therefore, we are closing in the interests of the public health.’
“It is thought that other
churches may follow the example.”1
The issue of the Hamilton
Public Library and the epidemic was reported upon :
“The medical health officer
this morning after consultation with the librarian, decided that it was
necessary to close the library on Saturday, as large crowds were in the habit
of gathering there. The doctor stated that he was of the opinion that the
library was a good thing and should stay open on other days, if possible, as
some sort of amusement must be given people whose sources of entertainment were
taken away by the closing order. He also stated that books, should they contain
a germ, would not carry it for very long as the germ would soon die.”2
In response to the
emergency, it was decided to call for a special meeting of the local branch of
the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire:
“Mrs. P. D. Crerar has
called a meeting of the ten chapters of the Daughters of the Empire tomorrow
morning at the Y.W.C.A. to form committees to assist the nurses working on
‘flu’ cases. Nurses report that in many of the homes they go to the residents
have not proper material with which to make nourishing food. In order to assist
this situation, the Daughters of the Empire will open soup kitchens and supply
to the poorer homes comforts and other necessaries. A transportation committee
will be formed, which will endeavor to get a corps of motors to deliver the
baskets. The board of education has been asked to give the use of the domestic
science department at the Caroline street school for a kitchen.”2
Progress
had been on the conversion of the handsome residence, Ballinahinch into a
relief hospital:
“The
Canadian Patriotic fund’s relief hospital, Martin homestead, South James
street, will be available Saturday for dependents of overseas men, who are in
receipt of allowance from the fund, who may be sent by their physicians
suffering from the present epidemic of Spanish influenza. The verification of
the person’s name on the fund list and previous arrangement with the nurse in
Charge, Miss Pegg, are the only requisites necessary for entrance while the
beds are available. The hospital telephone is Regent 3877, and further
information may be obtained from W. H. Lovering, chairman of relief, telephone
Regent 6850-6851.
“As there will be no
resident physician in this hospital the patients will be required to arrange
with their own physicians for attention.”
Finally the Herald of
October 18, 1918 carried the following brief items related to the Spanish Flu
matter:
“Undertakers are observing the private funeral
order, and in cases where a person has died of ‘flu’ have refused to take the
body to a church. Other regulations are being observed very closely by them.
“The city hospital, as well as St. Joseph’s, is so crowded
for room that they have been forced to use the corridors for patients. Only
very serious cases of ‘flu’ are admitted under any circumstances. The city
hospital has 68 cases and the mountain hospital 28.
“A number of cases of Spanish ‘flu’ are said
to be in the Hamilton asylum. It was stated that the hospital nursing staff
there was working day and night due to a shortage of help. It is also reported
the house nursing staff was very short-handed, due to sickness. Several deaths
have occurred there in the last few days.”2
The Spanish Influenza
epidemic had a victim who proved to be complicating problem for, but a problem
cleverly addressed :
“Arrested last night by the Dominion police on
a charge of failing to carry his passport, Nick Garain, a Dundas foreigner,
collapsed when brought into police headquarters. ‘He’s got the ‘flu,’ guessed
Detention Room Officer Finlayson. ‘I don’t want to expose my other guests in
there (pointing to the cells to infection, so we’ll have to get him out of here.’
So Nick was taken to the hospital, where an examination that Constable
Finlayson’s surmise had been correct.”3
3“Had
‘Flu’ : Prisoner Collapsed at Police Station ”
Hamilton Herald. October 18, 1918.
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