Spanish Influenza - Hamilton Ontario 1918 Part 6

 “Up to noon today, thirty-four new cases of Spanish Influenza were reported to the office of the board of health, but only one death from the disease has been announced since yesterday, although a number of patients are reported to be in precarious condition.”¹

¹ Hamilton Spectator.    October 16, 1918,

The afternoon editions of both the Hamilton Spectator, on October 16, 1918, carried the latest information on the influenza, and the news was important to know about, but difficult to learn about given how bad the situation had deteriorated.

Among the most needed individuals to cope with the effects of the deadly ‘flu’ were the members of the local medical community who were putting themselves at risk:

“At least a dozen members of the medical fraternity are laid low with the prevailing disease, and the lives of Dr. Gooch and Dr. Woodall, both of King street east, are despaired of by the doctors in attendance.

“Dr. Roberts explains, however, that the number of cases reported from day to day do not tell the whole story of the ravages of the epidemic by any means, as some of the doctors are so busy that they have not taken time to make reports to his office. Some of the doctors, at the present time, are working 18 and 20 hours a day, and have scores of patients to see daily or oftener.”¹

¹   “Influenza Still Taking Serious Toll in This City : Thirty-Four New Cases Reported Today : But Doctors are Too Busy to Keep Records : But One Death in the Last Twenty-Four Hours”

Hamilton Spectator.    October 16, 1918.

The previous evening, members of the Hamilton Board of Health and some doctors, member of the Hamilton Medical society met, and one of the main topics on the agenda was the potential benefits of the Board of Health issuing an order regarding public gatherings in the city :

 “The Hamilton Medical society and the board of trade met in session last evening, and Dr. Roberts stated they were of the opinion that all large buildings should be closed tight. Dr. Roberts pointed out that large cities, that had the closing order, conditions were worse than in Hamilton, and that he was of the opinion that the closing order would not do much good. He further stated that people who could not be educated to stay away from public buildings would have to be legislated for, and to that end moved that a closing order be enforced as a trial. Mayor Booker seconded the motion, and stated that he would stand behind Dr. Roberts and the medical men. He also mentioned that he was in receipt of numerous telephone calls from citizens, asking that closing action be taken at once.

“Dr. Robert announced that one doctor, at the meeting last evening, stated there would be 1200 deaths in the city before the epidemic was wiped.

“Controller Jutten explained that the board had not been criticized and was dealt with fairly at the meeting by the board of trade, but stated the doctors did criticize, and thought that everything should be closed. The board of trade, he said, had offered to put cars at the disposal of the board of health, take over clerical work and assist in any possible manner. The most serious criticism of the doctors, he said, was to the effect  that the board of health up to the present time, had done well in handling the situation, but the time had come for it, in their opinion, to take more stringent methods. They strongly recommended the closing of school. Dr. Roberts said : ‘I don’t want to get out from under the burden of responsibility. Because we close the schools, we cannot sit back, and say we have done everything possible. We cannot make a grandstand play and then do nothing. I looked into the statistics of 500 cases of the ‘flu’ and have found that only 20 per cent of that number were children at school. I do not see where the medical men can say that the larger number of cases are among children. We must continue to do everything possible to check the advance of the epidemic, and to carry the full burden of responsibility. No effort is too great for this department to undertake to help the situation.”

“The doctor then moved that the resolution be passed to close all public gatherings.

“T.L. Brown suggested that meetings where twenty-five would be present, should secure a permit from the health officer, and that he use his own judgment in granting the permit.

 “It is not likely that the official proclamation concerning the closing up of public places on Monday morning till Friday, will be announced tomorrow, as the city solicitor is out of the city today, and will not be back until tomorrow evening. The order will be made as general as the law will permit, the health officer taking the position that to close only some places would cause a movement into others. The gathering of a large number of persons at one place is what the authorities desire to avoid, and the law regarding public funerals will be enforced at once. While the churches will be permitted to hold service next Sunday, it has been suggested that in those churches where individual communion cups are not in use that the communion be not administered.

“Another suggestion that has been made that some of the larger employers of female labor in the heart of the city release some of them at earlier hours in the afternoon, to lessen the congestion on the street cars between 5 and 6 o’clock, it being realized that crowded cars are the worst places for spreading the disease. At last night’s conference, it was suggested that the board of health issue an order compelling the company to keep all the windows on one side of each car open all the time, and the doctor promised to give the suggestion consideration.”¹

Other influenza-related news was published in the local press on October 16, 1918.

From the Spectator :

“The board of health is having bulletins printed in English and several foreign languages for posting in the large industries, giving instruction in regard to the spread of the disease, and these will be delivered tomorrow. The board of trade has asked its members to make detailed reports of sick employees to the board of health so that closer tab can be kept on the disease.

“The board of health opened an emergency hospital on Barton street, near Wentworth street, this afternoon, placing Miss A. Torrie in charge as superintendent. Only one patient has been admitted so far, but there is accommodation there for 30 or more patients, and more will be admitted as soon as the general hospital and St. Joseph’s hospital become taxed to capacity. At the city hospital this morning, denial was made to the report made at last night conference that Superintendent Langrill had been attacked by influenza. The doctor was on the job this morning, although quite a number of the staff are still under treatment for the malady.”¹

“Although the board of education gave the chairman, Lyman Lee, full power to act in the matter of closing the schools, it is not likely that he will take any action before the proclamation is issued. He stated that he would be guided entirely by Dr. Roberts, M.H.O. and will not act except on his advice. His opinion was that many of the children, particularly in the industrial district, where many mothers go to work at 7 and 8 o’clock in the morning are better off in school than in running the streets.

“A lawyer whose business takes him to the police court frequently made the suggestion this morning that the military police ease up for a short period in their work of gathering men who fail to carry military papers, as he did not think it was in the interest of public health that a dozen or so men from boarding houses or private homes should be herded in the pen at that court. He thought that while the epidemic was raging, no person should be admitted to the police court who has not personal business there.”

From the Herald :

“Mrs. Harry Carpenter appeared before the board and asked for its co-operation in forming a Hamilton branch of the Ontario Emergency Volunteer auxiliary, to train young women in the art of nursing to such an extent as to fit them to nurse ‘flu’ patients, should they be needed. It was explained that lectures would be given the young women, and while they would not be paid for the time occupied in taking the course, they would be while employed as nurses. The wage suggested was $2 a day with maintenance. The board passed a resolution supporting Mrs. Carpenter in the forming of the auxiliary and giving her any reasonable finances.

 “Dr. Roberts stated that at the present time there were over 6000 cases of the ‘flu’ in Hamilton.” ²

Both the Spectator and the Herald had reporters at a meeting of the Hamilton Board of Health, October 16, 1918, a meeting that promised to be controversial :

“The board of health this morning passed a resolution and issued a proclamation to the effect that on and after Monday, October 21, all public gatherings of any nature at which there will be an attendance of twenty-five people or more, be cancelled.

“T. L. Brown, secretary of the board of trade, appeared before the board and presented the following resolution, which was passed at the meeting last evening : ‘Resolved, that we firmly believe, in the interest of public health and safety, that all schools, churches and public places where gatherings congregate should be closed for two weeks, and that we are prepared to support the medical health officer in that attitude.’

“This will include churches, schools, theaters, and all gatherings in public buildings. Dr. Roberts also instructed that all funerals be private. He stated that this order would be carried out if it took the whole police department to enforce it, and has issued instructions to Chief Whatley to see that the board’s orders are carried out. The order dealing with private funerals means that every funeral, whether it be as the result of ‘flu’ or not, be held privately.

“Norman Clark, chairman of the board, stated that they would experience no difficulty in closing the theaters, as the managers were agreeable.

“Dr. Robert announced that one doctor, at the meeting last evening, stated there would be 1200 deaths in the city before the epidemic was wiped.

“Controller Jutten explained that the board had not been criticized and was dealt with fairly at the meeting by the board of trade, but stated the doctors did criticize, and thought that everything should be closed. The board of trade, he said, had offered to put cars at the disposal of the board of health, take over clerical work and assist in any possible manner. The most serious criticism of the doctors, he said, was to the effect that the board of health up to the present time, had done well in handling the situation, but the time had come for it, in their opinion, to take more stringent methods. They strongly recommended the closing of school.

‘Dr. Roberts said : ‘I don’t want to get out from under the burden of responsibility. Because we close the schools, we cannot sit back, and say we have done everything possible. We cannot make a grandstand play and then do nothing. I looked into the statistics of 500 cases of the ‘flu’ and have found that only 20 per cent of that number were children at school. I do not see where the medical men can say that the larger number of cases are among children. We must continue to do everything possible to check the advance of the epidemic, and to carry the full burden of responsibility. No effort is too great for this department to undertake to help the situation.”

“The doctor then moved that the resolution be passed to close all public gatherings.

“T.L. Brown suggested that meetings where twenty-five would be present, should secure a permit from the health officer, and that he use his own judgment in granting the permit.”²

 ²“Will Close All Public Places Next Monday : Board of Health Ruling Applies to Schools, Churches, Etc. : No Gathering of More Than 25 Persons Allowed Anywhere”

Hamilton Herald.    October 16, 1918.

The Hamilton Herald carried the following editorial :

.

“Today the board of health decided in favor of the policy of fighting the ‘flu’ by closing all the city schools, churches, theaters and other places of amusement, forbidding the assembling of numbers in excess of twenty-five, and ordering that all funerals must be private.

“Now if this policy be necessary in order to check the progress of the epidemic, it ought to be put in force immediately. But with singular ineptitude, the board of health decides that the order shall not come into effect until next Monday, the delicious reason for the delay being that both the city solicitor and the city clerk are out of the city and there is nobody at home who can be trusted to draw up the proclamation.

“Dr. Roberts, M.H.O., moved he resolution for adoption of the closing down policy. Apparently, in doing so, he did not give effect to his own judgment, for he has been saying all along that it would be a great mistake to close the schools, because, in his opinion, the children are better looked after in the schools  and less liable to contract the disease there than at home or out on the streets. The action he took appears to have been taken under pressure from the doctors. It should be stated that the opinions and action of the health authorities in many of the cities on this continent do not support the policy which our medical officer of health has favored up to the present, for they have enforced even more drastic preventive measures than those which were decided upon here today.

“Perhaps when the time comes for the enforcement of the board of health’s order, it will be unnecessary to enforce it, for the epidemic by that time may have run its course. It came upon us suddenly, and it is likely to end as suddenly.”²

²  “The Closing Order”

Hamilton Herald.    October 16, 1918