“Being of the opinion that the local health
authorities had not taken sufficient measures to lessen the danger of infection
in the influenza epidemic, members of the local medical association waited upon
Mayor Booker yesterday afternoon and asked to have a conference arranged
between the association, the board of health and the board of control.”
Hamilton Spectator. November 20, 1918.
Ever since the epidemic of
Spanish influenza made its presence felt first in Hamilton in October, 1918,
there had been friction between the Medical Health Officer, Dr. Roberts and the
city’s physicians.
By late November, 1918,
another wave of the epidemic began after there. There had been some optimism
early in the month that perhaps the epidemic may have come to an end.
The Hamilton Medical Society
was the organization representing Hamilton doctors, the men who were fighting
the epidemic on the front line. The Hamilton Board of Health, under Chairman
Clark, were authorities charged with dealing with the epidemic on a wider
bases.
On November 19, 1918, a
delegation from the Hamilton Medical Society went to City Hall, insisting that
a meeting between that society, the Board of Health and the Hamilton Board of
Control :
The matter was referred by
the controllers to the board of health, as the board of control have no say in
the matter. No meeting has been arranged for so far.
“Health officials reported
that the epidemic was again on the decline. A total of 37 new cases was reported
today, and seven more deaths.”1
1“Adequate
Measures : Not Taken to Check Epidemic, Say Doctors”
Hamilton Spectator. November 20, 1918.
While much of the friction
between the city’s physicians and the board of health related to jurisdiction
and legal matters, it also a personal aspect :
“ ‘There will be no conference of the Medical
association with the board of health as far as I am concerned,’ Dr. Roberts,
M.H.O., said this morning, in regard to the proposal of the local doctors to
meet the board to discuss further restrictive measures against the influenza.
“Dr. Roberts said that a
number of local physicians were merely seeking to rob the board of health of
credit for handling the epidemic.
“The cold weather has
brought an increase in the number of cases again. Nearly 130 new cases were
reported today.”2
2“No
Conference : Dr. Roberts Does Not Want Doctors to Meet Health Board”
Hamilton Spectator. November 22, 1918.
In the very next day’s
Hamilton Spectator, the simmering dispute boiled up again :
“The fat is in the fire, as far as the board
of health and the Hamilton Medical society are concerned. The Medical society
has for the past week been endeavoring to secure a conference with the board to
discuss further restrictions, in view of the epidemic. This morning, Norman
Clark, chairman of the board of health, announced that there would be no
meeting, and said he would undertake responsibility for the refusal of the
board to meet the medical men.”3
“Health Board Not Worrying
About Medicos : No Meeting Will Be Called, Says Chairman: Not Bothered One
Iota, Declares Dr. Roberts : Medical Society Threatens Drastic Action ”
Hamilton Spectator. November 23, 1918.
Finally, the Hamilton Board
of Health agreed to have a meeting with some members of the Hamilton Medical
Society. As shown in the following account of the meeting, written by a Herald
reporter who was in attendance, the meeting did not go well:
“The influenza epidemic in Hamilton is more
serious today than it has been. Unless immediate steps are taken to combat the
epidemic in an effective way, the medical men feel that the result will be
serious. This was stated at noon today at a conference of medical men with the
board of health, and the view was subscribed to by leading practitioners and members
of the board of health.
SOME CRITICISM
“The doctors presented to
the meeting a number of resolutions which criticized the board of health in
regard to its attitude throughout the epidemic. Suggestions were also made with
regard to fighting the ‘flu’ which the board agreed to act on.
“The meeting developed
several warm spots, during which officials of the board of health positively
denied having given to reporters information that the epidemic was abating.
This denial was most emphatic by Dr. Roberts and Norman Clark, the latter
chairman of the board of health.
“The criticism of doctors
was also strongly denied by board of health officials, and ‘I resent that
statement,’ was seemingly the password of the gathering.
WERE SNUBBED
“”When the meeting opened
Dr. Morton was asked to present the report of the medical association, drawn up
at a meeting held last night. In his opening remarks, he said that the medical
men felt that they were being ‘snubbed and turned down, and made to feel that
their opinions and advice were not wanted.’
“Mayor Booker interjected a
defense for himself, declaring that he had never thought for a moment that the
doctors were not being encouraged to lend all possible assistance.
“Dr. Morton added that the
feeling of the doctors was that their opinions and advice should have been
sought after rather than refused.
WEREN’T WANTED
“Dr. Mullin here referred to
the attitude of the health department towards the doctors.
“ ‘It became evident to us
in the first few days of the epidemic that our presence at meetings of the
board of health was not desired,’ he declared.
TOOK EXCEPTION
“ “I take exception to that
remark,’ shouted Chairman Clark.
“Dr. Mullin related the
experiences of the doctors in regard to attending meetings. One was canceled
and the doctors, who were very busy, were not even notified. ‘We were curtly
told after we had hung around for half an hour that there would be no meeting,
he stated.
SAID IT WASN’T TRUE
“ ‘This is not so,’ replied
Dr. Roberts. ‘It is absolutely untrue.’
“Dr. Mullin continued to the
effect that the next day the doctors had appeared again and no medical officer
was in sight. ‘In the hope of avoiding open quarreling at that time, we
smothered our feelings and politely withdrew, leaving the impression that we
will still willing to help. There is an undercurrent of feeling that our
opinions are not desired. From the remarks of the public and what has appeared
in the press, it seemed that from the board of health have come remarks that
reflect on the medical profession.’
CHAIRMAN OBJECTED
“Chairman Clark remarked
that it seemed to him that a personal matter was being treated. ‘I object to
the whole statement,’ he declared with some heat. ‘I cannot understand anyone
holding to the idea that the assistance of the medical profession was not
wanted.’
“ ‘It is absurd,’ declared
Dr. Roberts
“ ‘I would like to know what
it is all about,’ stated Ald. Langs, a member of the board of health who
attended very few meetings this year.
“ ‘I don’t know,’ replied
Chairman Clark to Ald. Langs. ‘There seems to be a misunderstanding on the part
of the medical profession.’
HE DIDN’T REMEMBER
“Dr, Morton here pinned
Chairman Clark to a definite answer as to whether he had or had not stated it
would be unnecessary for the medical men to attend any more meetings of the
board of health during the first few days of the epidemic.
“ ‘I don’t remember making
any such statement,’ replied Chairman Clark, and a smile passed over the faces
of the doctors. ‘I believe this is all the outcome of a personal matter.
ACCOMMODATION
“Dr, Morton then read the
first clause of the report of the doctors. It referred to the fact that
adequate hospital accommodation had not been provided.
“Dr. Roberts in reply stated
that nurses and other help could not be obtained. He believed that in fitting
up the two emergency hospitals the local board of health had done wonders.
“ ‘Then it proves that the
department is not properly organized to fight such an epidemic,’ stated Dr.
Morton.
“Dr. Roberts nodded his head
in acknowledgment.
NOT PERSONAL AT ALL
“Dr. Holbrook stated that
the Medical society had passed certain resolutions which, if the board of
health would take into its consideration, would help a lot. Regarding Chairman
Clark’s statements as to personal matters he did not credit them. He advised
that all argument should stop in the interest of the public.
“ ‘The situation is more
serious than ever,’ declared Dr. Holbrook.
“Dr. McNicol stated that the
‘flu’ had been raging in Europe since last winter. In Glasgow recently there
had been 740 deaths in one week.
PUBLIC MISLED
“Several of the speakers declared that the public has
been misled as to the seriousness of the epidemic. Through the papers they had
been informed that Dr. Roberts said that the epidemic was dying out.
NOT RESPONSIBLE
“ “I am not responsible for
what appears in the papers,’ declared Dr. Roberts.
“ ‘Well, they quote you.
Surely you have something to say as to that,’ replied Dr. Storms.
“It was decided to form a
publicity committee consisting of three doctors, Publicity Commissioner C.W.
Kirkpatrick and Dr. Roberts to give out all information to the press as to the
‘flu.’
“Dr. Morton read the
remaining resolutions of the doctors. One was as to misleading the public
through the papers.
“Another resolution
complained that the health department had made no effort to facilitate the
reporting of cases. They suggested that a girl be employed to take reports from
doctors over the telephone.
“Another resolution
criticized the department for not giving Dr. Jaffray more help in procuring
serum for ‘flu’ cases.
WERE NEGLIGENT
“Part of the clause read :
“One would think that the
authorities would have been alive to the importance of such a matter and would
have seen to it that all the assistance that was required would have been
supplied.”
“The report ended with the
recommendation that more assistance be provided for Dr. Jaffray and that
someone be empowered to urge recovered ‘flu’ patients to give a little blood in
order that serum could be made.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
“Another clause advocated
housing accommodation for convalescents in order that beds could be ready for
new acute cases.
“Another clause urged that
more consideration be shown to nurses who, recovering from the sickness, were
used for long hours to attend to patients.
“The last resolution
suggested that nurses should have been and should be secured from American
cities to help out, and it also advocated that the S.O.S. should be enlarged
and new helpers advertised for.
TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE
“Dr. Morton said that Dr.
Roberts should put a statement in the newspapers over his own name to restore
public confidence in the board of health.
“The chairman replied that
he did not believe in newspaper publicity or in answering charges made in the
papers. The suggestion was dropped.”4
4“Doctors
Spoke Minds Freely : Dr. Roberts and Chairman Clark of Board of Health Made
Strenuous Denials of Their Statements Regarding ‘Flu’ Epidemic : They Styled It
a Personal Matter : Doctors Were Firm in Their Contention That They Had Been
Snubbed, and Fired Hot Shot at Board”
Hamilton Herald. November 25, 1918.
Cooler heads eventually
prevailed, and a tentative resolution to the conflict was reached :
“Announcement today that 170 new cases of
influenza had been reported by medical men on Sunday and Monday, with six
deaths yesterday, furnished ample proof that the epidemic, which has held
Hamilton in its grip since the end of September, is not over.
“ ‘It is apparent that the
scourge has just reached its peak here,’
said C.W. Kirkpatrick, member of the committee of public information. ‘Only
drastic measures will stamp it out.’
“From October 1 until Nov.
25 there have been 251 deaths from influenza and 71 deaths from pneumonia,
these latter being, in the majority of cases, a complication arising from the
ravaging of the systems by the influenza bacillus.
“Today, at a meeting of the
board of health and a committee of medical men, it was decided to establish a
bureau of information at the city and to advertise in Canadian and American
dailies for trained nurses, there being a crying need here.
“The intention of the
committee is to have all information regarding hospital accommodation and
available nurses on file at the city hall. Hospitals will make daily reports
and the medical men, with cases requiring hospital treatment, will get in touch
with Mr. Kirkpatrick, and ascertain the vacancies in the various hospitals.”5
5“
‘Flu’ Epidemic is Not Over Yet : 170 New Cases Reported Here Since Sunday :
Wide Appeal Will Be Made for Trained Nurses”
Hamilton Spectator. November 26, 1918.
The first public
manifestation of the board of health and the medical working together to
distribute information to citizens appeared the following day :
“The following statement was given out today
by the committee which was appointed at a meeting of the board of health to
give out reports and make suggestions regarding the influenza epidemic :
‘The inability of the health
authorities and medical profession to stamp out the Spanish influenza epidemic
is due to the fact that the majority of people refuse, in spite of the high
death rate, to take the epidemic seriously. Doctors, nurses and S.O.S. helpers
are almost worn out by their untiring day and night efforts to cope with the
disease, and the situation is becoming desperate. Measures more drastic than
any yet introduced will have to be adopted unless people voluntarily comply
with requests and suggestions of the authorities and medical men. Isolation may
become necessary, and with the disease so widespread it may eventually mean the
closing up of the whole city.
‘To avoid this all should
take the following precautions:
‘Don’t mingle in large
public gatherings any more than is absolutely necessary.
‘When the first symptoms of
the disease appear (usually pains in the head and feverishness) don’t try to
deceive yourself and others into the belief that you are merely afflicted with
a slight cold, or some other minor disorder. Go to bed at once and call a
physician. Better be sure than sorry. Delay may cost human lives.
‘Don’t visit others who are
suffering or convalescing from the disease, or permit them to visit you.
Patients should remain in bed for at least three days after their temperature
becomes normal., and in the house for an additional two fays.
‘Masks should be worn by
those suffering from the disease, especially when sneezing or coughing, and by
those attending or conversing with patients. These masks should be sterilized
frequently.’ ”6
6 “A
Warning : Whole City Will Be Closed if People Do Not Heed It”
Hamilton Herald. November 27, 1918.
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