“The influenza death toll in
Hamilton has been increased today by twelve and the number of cases reported to
the board of health makes it quite plain that the disease has by no means been
checked. During the past week the death rate has been very high in the city,
and a large number of deaths have been the direct result of ‘flu.’
“With the staff on hand, the
cemetery authorities are finding it difficult to handle their work. The casket
factories, with their heavy shipping orders, are working to capacity and have
not a casket ahead, according to the undertakers’ reports. They state that it
is necessary to order a casket when it is needed, and in many cases delivery of
it is held up several hours.”
Hamilton Herald. October 22, 1918.
A major meeting was held at
the Hamilton City Hall, with the goal of establishing a volunteer organization with
the hope of attracting women to contribute to helping those afflicted with
influenza :
“Mayor Booker presided at
the opening, and stated that many reports were in circulation which were
causing close to panic. He stated that one minister he knew made the assertion
that there had 500 deaths in this city from ‘flu.’ He deprecated that sort of
talk.
“Dr. Roberts stated that the
hospitals were full, and visitation of homes that were afflicted was the only
course that could be pursued to advantage. He therefore went on record as being
in favor of the forming of the auxiliary. He stated that with seven or eight
nurses last week, over 300 visits had been made, and in some cases the stay
lasted as long as 13 to 20 hours. He also admitted that the board of health was
not in a position to meet its obligations so far as nursing was concerned.
“The mayor impressed it upon
those present that the organization, when formed, would work under the
direction of the board of health, and that Mrs. Carpenter and her associates in
the auxiliary would no doubt be of great assistance.”1
1 “Twelve More Deaths Are Due to Epidemic :
There is No Abatement in Ravages of Influenza : Dr. Roberts Laughed at
Criticism of Minsters”
Hamilton Herald. October 22, 1918.
A strongly-respected voice,
that of Dr. Mullin, contributed greatly to the meeting :
“Dr. Mullin stated that
confidence was necessary. ‘We must bear in mind that the board of health is
doing a lot of work that the public find hard to appreciate.’
“He said : ‘The medical
profession is, and will do its utmost to combat this epidemic. Twenty-five per
cent of the doctors in this city have been hit with the ‘flu.’ Several of them
have been very close to the great beyond, and Dr. Graham has passed away, a
victim to it. He pointed out how the seriousness of epidemic had been
demonstrated in the past two weeks by the advent of well over 6000 cases. He
also laid emphasis on the necessity of caring for those who were afflicted and
who were unable to be cared for in the hospital. The doctor laid great stress
on the prevention of the disease, and announced that the incubation time of the
germ was two to four days, and that a person could be infected for that period
without any visible sickness or the disease making itself manifest. A mask was
not an absolute protection, and it was his wish not to enforce people to wear
them, as they would become careless with them, and thus cause the wearing of a
mask to be dangerous.
“ ‘In quiet talk,’ the
doctor continued, ‘germs from the nose and throat carry a distance of four feet
away from the person, and loud talking, coughing and sneezing propel the germ
at least ten feet. You can see how urgent it is that every precaution be taken,
and that gatherings be refrained from. The best-organized health departments in
America have almost fallen down in the battle against this epidemic, and should
it gain aheadway here the casualties would be appalling. There is no question
but what the disease is being spread mostly by people who do not know they are
infected. I do not think that people infected and people who are recovering
cause very much spreading. There are cases on the wards that are exceedingly
sick, and who die within a few hours of their hospital admittance. There is no
better scheme to cope with the situation than this S.O.S. call
“ ‘It must be impressed that
after the temperature is again normal that it is necessary to stay in bed at
least three days. A strange thing in this disease is that the majority of those
who die have had partial recoveries, and gotten up before it was time. Those
who do always have a relapse, and many of them prove fatal. Inflammation of the
lungs sets in, and with this complication that at once become a serious case.
Hamilton has made a name for itself in matters of finance, but I contend that
this is far more important than any Victory loan yet launched. Many who recover
are unfit to assume their duties for a long time. What is needed is some strong
organization to assist in this crisis.’
“Mrs. Carpenter announced that she had gotten
together some 100 women who had been lectured to, and would soon be ready to
graduate from the class.
“T. H. Pratt, chairman of
the hospital board, stated that immediate action was necessary, and urged that
the volunteers present themselves. He laid stress on the urgent need of
assistance, stating that all hospitals were working to capacity.
“Norman Clark, chairman of
the board of health, who has taken a very active part in conjunction with Dr.
Roberts and Controller Jutten, in handling the health matters of the city,
stated that the board of health would stand behind Mrs. Carpenter in any
expense she had incurred up to the present. It had not laid aside an amount of
money to be expended but would go the limit, always with economy in sight.”1
Despite the Board of Health
ban on public gatherings would not literally affect the city’s churches until
the following Sunday, at least one of the city’s clergy blasted the ban from
his pulpit at St. Philip’s Church;
“On Sunday in St. Philip’s
church, Rev. C. B. Kenrick made a vigorous protest at the closing of the
churches. They were doing a hard and necessary work in the community, and the
authorities had given them many knocks. Recruiting meetings and entertainments
held under various pretexts had unsettled people’s habits in churchgoing on
Sunday evenings. Now the board of health had shut up the churches altogether.
What he especially objected to was the interdicting of the brief relay services
at which no more than 25 people were to have been present, on which the Church
of England clergy had unanimously resolved. Even early communion service was
forbidden. Why, he asked, if the danger were so great, were not the factories and
the stores closed? He did not think the doctors were of one mind in the matter,
and declared the closing of churches was just a piece of camouflage to fool the
public and satisfy a clamor in certain quarters. It was as futile a preventive
measure as it was wicked. The Lord had commanded him as a priest to ‘do this in
remembrance of Me.’ Was he to harken to the board of health when they said to
him, ‘Don’t do this?’ St. Paul had an unmeasured contempt for human laws when
they conflicted with the laws of God. If the apostle had been in Hamilton at
the present day, he would have directed the clergy to ignore the proclamation,
and continue their work as usual. And they should be willing to go to prison
for their convictions, as St. Paul did – if the medical board dared to send
them there. Gatherings essential to the winning of the war were exempted from
the provisions of the proclamation. Thereby the doctors showed their lack of
religion and faith. Prayer was essential to the winning of the war, and united
prayer was more efficacious than that offered by individuals. The offering of
the church’s oblation at the altar was much more important than knitting socks
or making Red Cross bandages. Yet assisting at the altar and receiving
communion was forbidden, while attendance at Red Cross meetings was encouraged.
He stigmatized the interdict as inspired by the enemy of mankind. While the
doctors had different theories and treatments, and churches were open in
Toronto, while they were closed here, there was one piece of advice which he
could give them about which there was no doubt, and that was ‘My brethren be
strong in the Lord, and in the Power of His might.’ ”2
2“Another
Protest : Rev. C. B. Kenrick Takes Exception to Closing Churches”
Hamilton Spectator. October 22, 1918.
As was the case since the
epidemic began, Dr. Roberts was the focus for the press, as reporters daily
sought him out :
“That the board of health is so busy
combatting the influenza that it had no time to look to the enforcement of its
own order, that all windows on street cars should be opened wide, was the
assessment of Dr. Roberts, M.H.O., this morning, when it was brought to his
attention that the order was practically ignored today.
“ ‘The order is there, and
so it stands,’ said Dr. Roberts, ‘but we are so busy attending to the sick that
we haven’t time to look after matters of secondary importance.’
“ ‘But do you regard the
enforcement of this order as of secondary importance?’ Dr. Roberts was asked.
‘ ‘No, I don’t; but we are
so rushed that there is no time to enforce anything now,’ was the reply.
“The street railway
employees held a meeting to decide whether they would take out the cars at all,
and they finally decided to take them out of the barns, only on agreeing to
keep all windows closed at 6.
“This was pointed out to Dr.
Roberts.
‘ ‘Are the street railway
employees to openly defy the board of health’s order, or will the order be
relaxed?’ he was asked.
“Dr. Roberts replied that
the order would not be relaxed, but at present, the matter would stand. The
whole staff was so busy that nothing else could be attended to just now.
“ ‘The weather is such that
nobody will get any harm through the windows being left open, and, anyway, in
other cities there are no street cars at all,’ said the health officer said.
‘The conductors tell me that they can’t keep the windows open. The passengers
simply walk in and put them up again. What are we to do?’
“So the order remains at
present partly ignored. The conductors and motormen are bitter in their
complaints against the regulations, and it is forecasted that if it is rigidly
enforced, scores of resignations are due. Already a large number of employees
are off, having either quit or taken cold. There is a general disposition to
defy the order. Most of the cars this morning had from three to six windows
partly opened, while in some the windows were closed tight, the ventilators
only being used. The discomforts attending the open cars were becoming
unbearable, the men stated. Seven cars were out of commission on Sunday, and a
large number yesterday, owing to the shortage of men. The company is paying men
55 cents per hour to work overtime.
“Dr. Roberts this morning
issued a call for nurses and volunteer workers to attend to the sick at their
homes. In scores of houses, there is no one to attend to the common wants of
the sick, and neighbors are often averse to exposing themselves to infection.
At present the medical forces are entirely inadequate to cope with the
pestilence. Dr. Roberts received many calls from people who had been unable to
secure a physician.
“ ‘Anybody with the
instincts of humanity will do what they can in this crisis. Anybody who can
pour out a cup of tea or change a night dress can help,’ he said.
“The medical health officer
last night was working on the epidemic till the early hours of today. He said
today that the strain was beginning to tell on him.
“The familiar Halloween
false faces will be missing from the celebrations this year. Dr. Roberts this
morning stated that they would not be allowed, on account of the danger of
infection through being passed from one person to another.”3
3 “Car
Crews Opposed to the M.H.O.’s Order : Can’t Stand the Windows Open in Cold
Weather : Twelve More Deaths Here Due to Influenza : Quantity of Vaccine
Received from Toronto”
Hamilton Spectator. October 22, 1918.
October 22, 1918 was typical
of the epidemic in Hamilton, when it was at its worst :
“Twelve deaths have been
reported in Hamilton from influenza during the past 24 hours. Twenty more cases
were reported to the board of health this morning, but it is admitted that only
an inconsiderable percentage of the cases are reported.”3
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