186. Randolph County And The Spanish Influenza Epidemic Of 1918-1919. Part 1.

Sept. 4, 1918.   A strange epidemic has made its appearance in Union City, at least so far as our doctors have been unable to classify it and place it under the heading of any of the well known plagues. So it has been called the "War Colic." The theory has been advanced that the germs float in the air and they come direct from the WW I battlefields of Europe in the poisonous gases that have been thrown out in such vast quantities as to at last permeate the atmosphere of the entire world.
  There are now over one hundred cases in the Union City area. The victims get deathly sick and the contents of their stomachs turn green. There is a high fever for a day or two and the attack lasts from three to ten days, leaving the patients very weak. So far there have been no deaths.
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Oct., 1918.   At last that dreaded of all disease, Spanish influenza, that has been sweeping over the country and is causing the death of hundreds of our soldiers and sailors, has got a hold on a Randolph County boy at the Great Lakes Training camp, where there were recorded 77 deaths yesterday. He is Frances FRAZIER, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Frazier who live south of Harrisville. A telegram from the Naval Station stated that their son had been admitted to the Naval Hospital with grippe pneumonia. Condition serious, is quarantined. H.E. ODELL.
  In his last letter home he told his mother that he was feeling well outside of a little cold and that he was taking a shot in the nose every day to keep from getting that 'Spanish Grippe, so you need not worry about me getting it for the dope they are giving me will keep it away. There were 35 died here last night but they had it and never took care of themselves.
  At 11 a.m. the next day the Fraziers received another telegram from the Naval Station with the following message; Mrs. Cora Frazier,  Frances Leroy Frazier died at 3:15 a.m. today. Body may be buried here at government expense, or, if you request, body sent home all expenses, preparation and transportation paid by government. Wire immediately what shall be done.  H.E. ODELL. Both telegram messages were telephoned to the Fraziers from the telegraph office in Union City.
  They arranged with undertaker Fraze to have the body brought home.
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Oct., 1918.  First Death In Jackson Township.   So far as is known, the first victim in this section of the present epidemic of Spanish influenza, so -called, though all our doctors declare that it is nothing more than our old enemy la-grippe, was Ellen, six year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer MEEHAN, who live on what was until recently their farm, located about one-half mile north of New Lisbon. The little girl went to school at the Jackson school building one week ago last Friday as usual and shortly after arriving home in the evening she became sick. Her ailment was pronounced grip and she had all the symptoms that prevail according to reports in so-called Spanish influenza. She became steadily worse and in spite of all that could be done, she died last night. Both the parents and three remaining children also took the same disease, but all but Mrs. Meehan are recovering. The mother is reported a very sick woman.
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Oct, 1918.   Randolph County soldiers were sent to several Army camps during WW I and Camp Sherman at Chillicothe was one. This short piece shows how hard the camps were hit by the flu: 143 deaths from the Spanish influenza-pneumonia epidemic occurred at Camp Sherman between noon Oct. 7 and 2 p.m. Oct. 9, bringing the total deaths since the epidemic took hold a week ago to 227.
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Oct., 1918.   Vaccination with a recently discovered serum, which from tests just completed at several army camps, has been found to be an almost positive preventative of contraction of pneumonia, will be used to combat the epidemic of Spanish influenza, which, in one week, had made it's appearance in every state and in all but a few army camps causing many deaths.
  Use of the vaccine will be widely extended, Congress having appropriated a million dollars to be used by the public health service in fighting Spanish influenza.  (This vaccine proved to be useless.)
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Oct. 1918.   At a special meeting of the Randolph County Board of Education, held in office of the County Superintendent, it was decided to have a medical inspection of the school children of Randolph County. A medical inspector will be appointed for each school corporation. The duties of the Inspector are as follows:
  School physicians shall make prompt examination and diagnosis of all children referred to them and such further examination of teachers, janitors and school buildings as in their opinion the protection of the health of the pupils and teachers may require. Whenever a school child is foundto be ill or suffering from any physical defect, the school physician shall promptly send them home with a note to parents or guardians, briefly setting forth the discovered facts and advising that the family physician be consulted. If the parents or guardians are so poor as to be unable to give the relief that is necessary, then the school trustees and township trustees, as the case may be, shall provide the necessary relief. Provided, that in cities where public dispensaries exist, the relief shall be given by said dispensaries. School physicians shall keep accurate card-index records of all examinations and said records that may be uniform throughout the state shall be according to the form prescribed by the state, authorized in this act and the method and manner of reports shall be according to said rules.
  It will be seen from the above that this was all done in the interest of the child. This is of special importance in view of the probable epidemic of influenza in the country. It is to be hoped and expected that each school patron of the county will cooperate with the school officials and Medical Inspector in the conservation of the health and protection of the children of the county. Each parent should study carefully the report and comply with the recommendations given.
DR. GRANVILLE REYNARD, Secy. County Board of Health, LEE L. DRIVER, Supt. of Randolph County Schools.
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Oct., 1918. State Government Closes All Public Places.   While it was generally rumored over the city that the Community Fair would not be held this year on account of the spread of the Spanish Influenza in this community, no definite orders were received until Dr. Granville REYNARD who is the county Health Officer received the following message from Dr. J.N. HURTY of the State Board of Health which says:   Dr. Granville Reynard, Union City, Ind., "You are hereby ordered to close at once all schools, churches and places of public amusement and FORBID ALL PUBLIC MEETINGS IN RANDOLPH COUNTY until further notice. On account of epidemic influenza I require your physicians to report all cases of epidemic Spanish Influenza to a health officer and the health officer will report daily to the State Board of Health. Communicate this order promptly to all Health Officers in Randolph County by order of the State Board of Health.  J.N. HURTY Secty.
  Dr. Reynard, after communicating with the various boards or health officers over the county announced that all schools, churches and all theatres had been ordered closed and the local undertakers were ordered not to hold any funerals in the churches where a public gathering could take place and that the Community Fair would be called off.
  Although factories, business houses and all concerns where a number of persons are employed, are not included in the present order, it is asked that employers take every precaution to guard against the epidemic.
  The Jackson, Wilson and Wayne central schools have been closed and will remain closed until the epidemic is over. There is no reason for our people to panic over the conditions existing in our community, you know the true conditions as they really exist, there are over forty cases in our community and several deaths and the only way that it can be successfully stamped out, is for us all to join in and comply with the rules and regulations as laid down by the men who are skilled in the combating of this dreaded disease. If you have a severe cold, see a physician at once.
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Oct., 1918.   The Spanish Influenza is spreading rapidly over this state and Friday two schools in Randolph County were closed. One death occurred north of Union City and there are now 43 cases in town. There is only one thing for our citizens to do and that is to follow Dr. HURTY's  orders to the letter in regard to hygiene and careful living.
  The newspaper has published columns of reading matter this past week, showing the proper procedure of combating the disease and has tried to refrain from mentioning just what the local conditions were, until now, when we feel it our duty to inform the citizens that the time has arrived when an organized effort must be put forth to stamp out the disease locally which is rapidly spreading. It is not necessary for anyone to become hysterical on the subject. These are serious times and anyone that has a severe cold should consult a physician at once. That is the best advice that we or anybody else can give you.
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 Flu Victim.   Spanish Influenza claimed its first victim in Winchester when Miss Elsie GERHARD died. Miss Gerhard had been county food demonstrator since the creation of the office last March.
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To Avoid Influenza.   The following precautionary rules for the avoidance and lessening of the intensity of the epidemic of the Spanish influenza have been prepared by Dr. Wm. F. Lincoln, advisor of the Lake Division, American Red Cross.
Here are the rules:
1.  All colds, however slight, should be treated as possible attacks of influenza. Patients affected by colds should stay at home and sterilize any discharge from the nose and throat.
2.  Avoid touching or spreading of the disease.
3.  Avoid crowds.
4.  Regulate bodily functions and keep them so.
5.  Avoid the breath or expelled secretions from people suffering from colds.
6.  Wash out the nose and throat two or three times daily by a nasal spray or doucher and gargle with a normal salt solution (one-half teaspoonful salt to a glass (eight ounces) of clean water.)
7.  All those in attendance of patients with influenza should wear masks.
8  Clothing should be warm and dry. Food simple and easily digester. Drink water freely.
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The Spanish Influenza seems to have came to Randolph County around the first of September, 1918 and had pretty well ran its course by May of 1919, about eight or nine months. I'll have more on the flu in Randolph as I have time and if I'm allowed to come to the museum. Stay safe and WASH YOUR HANDS. mh

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