It was a headline which most
Hamiltonians had been longing to see.
On October 23, 1918, the
Spectator reassuringly headlined a front page article in the following way:
“Influenza Scourge Is
Diminishing Now : Health Authorities Believe That Hamilton is Over Crest of
Epidemic”1
1 Hamilton
Spectator. October 23, 1918.
In that same day’s issue of
the Spectator, an editorial addressed the recent good news, mixing in some
cautionary advice :
“Dr. McCullough, the
provincial medical health officer, announces that by Friday the influenza
epidemic will have past its worse in Ontario. That is a most comforting
assurance based on the experiences of other places visited by the scourge.
Already reports are coming in from some points that an abatement of the disease
is discernible. In the meantime, the local situation is being handled in a
manner which reflects the greatest credit upon those who have volunteered to
cope with it. Conspicuous among them is the Ontario Volunteer Aid association,
the Hamilton branch of which was organized last night. For the promotion of
this valuable body, Mrs. Henry Carpenter, the efficient and energetic
vice-president, is deserving of great credit.
“With six hospitals in the
city fighting the disease, and with Mr. Lovering’s scheme for caring for the
patients among the soldiers’ dependents in operation, Hamilton has met the
crisis in a prompt and praiseworthy manner. There seems to be no sure
preventive of the disease. The fact that one-fourth of the city’s doctors have
contracted the ailment through attending their patients shows how highly
infectious it is. The only safeguard is to avoid all risk, and take every
precaution. The authorities are doing everything possible to grapple with the situation
; it is the duty of all to second their efforts.”2
2 “At
the Crest”
Hamilton Spectator. Editorial October 23, 1918.
While the slight downward
trend in the numbers of cases and fatalities reported was welcome, it did not
mean that the epidemic was over:
“The little army of doctors
and nurses continue to battle with might and main. There were many cases of
distress to be attended to, particularly those in which entire families were
laid low by the plague. Physicians’ phones were ringing continuously, and many
complaints of inability to get any medical assistance whatever. The doctors,
however, protest against the practice some people have of putting in calls four
or five times. They say they are rushing to attend cases in the order in which
they are reported, and are doing everything they can.”1
Clearly the health emergency
was still very much present, and the heroic effort to provide more and more
nurses and spaces for hospital accommodation could only go so far given the
numbers of Hamiltonians in distress or succumbing to the ‘flu.
There was a call for people
to look out after one another :
“Much of the distress is
caused by the failure of neighbors to lend a hand to sick families owing to
fear that they might be caught by the infection. Relief Officer McMenemy has
his attention called to several such cases. In one instance, a woman and two
children were sick and neighbors declined to lend any assistance. Dr. Roberts
finally secured help for them.
“Another extreme case on
Mary street was brought to his notice. A woman whose husband was in hospital in
France, was sick with her two little ones, one of them aged eight years and the
other two. They were all in bed with no one to render them any assistance. The
relief officer called Dr. Roberts and he finally secured admission for them to
the general hospital, Dr. Langrill making room for them. On Stanley avenue, a
family consisting of a man, his wife, and two children were all in bed
suffering from the influenza.”
An example of people helping
out each in the face of the matter was shown by members of the city’s Italian
community :
“One of the saddest cases yet reported where
the deadly influenza has carried off the breadwinner came to notice this
morning. An Italian, Benedetto Grottoli by name, 243 Brant street, was taken
ill on Saturday and died in the city hospital on Sunday. Grottoli’s wife is a
helpless cripple, and had only recently returned to her home after having spent
months in the hospital. She has five small children to care for and little or
no means. Her fellow-countrymen are raising a subscription to temporarily care
for the family.”3
3 “Sad
Case : Italian Dies, Leaving Cripple Wife and Large Family”
Hamilton Spectator. October 23, 1918.
A long-standing tradition was
in full force in 1918, criticism of Hamilton City Hall
“To the Editor : It was with
great interest that I read the article in Tonight’s paper on Uncalled For
Noise, and I quite agreed with every word of it.
“I, too, have just recovered
from an attack of the ‘flu’ and know the effects of ‘cut-outs’ and express
wagons on a person too sick to raise his head. We can muffle our own telephones
and door bells, but it is up to the city to muffle the cut outs and other
needless noises. It seems to me that the whole city should be treated as a
hospital district.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if, for
once, the city council could make up and accomplish something beneficial
without quite so much red tape, discussions and ‘lay-it-overs?’
EXPERIENCE
Monday,
October 21, 19184
Dr.
Roberts in one of his daily interviews with the press, commented on the status
of a Board of Health order that had come under considerable criticism :
“Responding to protests
against the opening wide of all windows in street cars, the board of health
yesterday effected a modification of the original order. It was agreed that all
ventilators should be opened, the central window of each vestibule, and one
window on each side of the car. This went into effect this morning and brought
vast relief.
“ ‘We have given the people
enough fresh air for the next few days,’ said Dr. Roberts. He said that his
investigation showed that the complaints formerly made that the ventilators
were closed tight were mostly without foundation. Regarding the complaints that
the Dundas and other suburban cars were overcrowded, he said that this could
not be avoided, any more than could the city street cars when the workmen
poured from the factories.”1
As he had been for some
time, Dr. Roberts came under criticism for his handling of the flu epidemic.
This time it came in the words of a Letter to the Editor”
“To the Editor : I notice in Saturday’s
Spectator our M.O.H. Dr. Roberts’ condemnation of the mask for prevention of
‘flu,’ and it really strikes me as being rather a joke.
“Some time ago, Senator
Staunton mentioned eucalyptus oil as being a preventive of colds and grippe, he
stating that he had used it for many years. I have also used it, and I dare say
you have, as thousands of others.
“I think it was Mr. Lennox
who suggested the use of Sulphur in the shoes, an old practice and, I believe,
a good one. This is what my dear mother used to do with us kids when we were
going to school.
“My physician and yours and
hundreds of other prominent doctors have told us on various occasions when
threatened with an attack of the grippe to go to bed, take a good hot toddy and
lemon with one or two quinine capsules, do you remember the result ? – cure.
“Wearing of camphor as a
preventive is also prescribed by some – this is also an old practice. Children
at school some years ago were fitted up with the little camphor bag, spring and
fall, to prevent disease.
“Now, here we have some of
the suggestions : Eucalyptus oil, Sulphur, liquor, quinine, camphor, and the
mask, all of which have been condemned by Dr. Roberts.
“I note also that the doctor
was not in favor of the closing of schools, churches, theaters, etc., as a
measure of prevention, while in some other cities the M.O.H. deemed it
advisable to do this after one or two cases had been reported – Winnipeg for
instance; and have their cases of ‘flu’ numbered anything like those of
Hamilton, not forgetting also the number of deaths from this dread disease?
Surely, if these have proven of benefit to others, they should do as much for
Hamilton people.
“Now, just one thing that I
would like to take the liberty of asking, and I think I am entitled to ask the
question.
“If Dr. Roberts knows all
these things to be of no use, and many of them to be not only useless but
harmful, will he please come across and
tell us something that is good?
“Surely it is not a good
policy to condemn everything that is suggested unless he can, at the same time,
tell us of something that is some good.
A . E. Hampson.5
5“Influenza
Preventives”
Hamilton
Spectator. October 21, 1918
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