188. Randolph County And The Spanish Influenza Epidemic 1918-19. Part 2.

October 16, 1918.  STATE-WIDE BAN Has Been issued In An Effort To Check The Spread Of The Disease In Indiana. First Time In History Of State That It Has Been Entirely Affected By Epidemic.
  Because of the rapid spread of the Spanish Influenza in Indiana, an order prohibiting all public gatherings in the state until midnight October 20 was issued by the state board of health at its regular quarterly session in the State House.
  That date was arbitrarily set by the board that the peak of the epidemic will have been passed by that time. An extension of the ban, however will be ordered if conditions do not improve by that time.
  The stringent order which takes the place of the emergency order issued by the office of the health board today will apply to every section of Indiana, whether the disease has made its appearance or not. By "public gathering, churches, theaters, schools, political meetings and any other kind of meeting open to the public, whether in a building or in the open air, are included. In addition to the closing order the health board adopted regulations for the operation of all street cars and interurban cars in the state. The order did not necessarily apply to pool rooms and like places. Local officials may interpret that gatherings at poolrooms, bowling alleys, dry beer saloons and clubs for instance, are public gatherings and may order them closed.
  A rule was adopted by the board forcing all soda fountains, hotels, restaurants and eating houses in the state to sterilize all cups, glasses, forks, knives and spoons used by customers.
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October 16, 1918.  Sixty Cases In Wayne, Jackson Townships And Union City.  County Health Officer Dr. G. REYNARD informed the Union City Times this noon that there were sixty cases of Spanish Influenza in Wayne and Jackson Townships and Union City reported to him and that he was of the opinion that there were a great many other cases in the city which had not been reported by their attending physician.
  Dr. Reynard ordered all the pool rooms closed in Winchester and Union City yesterday to remain closed until after the epidemic is over which effects the Lyons, Gruber and Coleman pool rooms in this city and Doc IRVIN's and Ed LENKENSDOFER's halls in Winchester. He said he had just got a report from the physicians of Winchester who say there is not one case of Spanish Influenza in that city while one case is reported at Modoc.
  Dr. Herbert DETRICK, who is the city Secretary of the Board of Health started out this afternoon to place quarantine cards on all residences over our city that have Spanish Influenza in them. Six new cases were reported this morning, one of which is very serious, being a seven months old baby.
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October 22, 1918.  There has been much agitation going around our city the past few days over the ban placed by the State Board of Health on keeping down of the Spanish Influenza epidemic that is prevalent over the state. Locally we don't think there is any reason why we should get excited for while there are no doubt a great many cases of the old fashioned grippe, yet we don't believe there is a single case of Spanish Influenza in this city, and we don't want any, we have always contended that Union City is the most healthful and best place in the country to live in, and we see no reason now for changing our opinion of fifty-two years residence in the same. If you have a cold, consult a physician at once is the advice of the Times.
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October 23, 1918.  Dr. J. N. HURTY, secretary of the state Board of Health announced that the statewide ban on all public gatherings will be extended from the original day set for the termination of the closing order.
  Dr. Hurty said the length of the extension period will depend entirely upon the nature of the reports received from county health commissioners over the state. He said that from the present outlook the extension would be at least five days and not more than ten.
  The extension, like the original closing order, will take in all public gatherings, including churches, schools, theatres and all other public meetings.
  The total number of new cases reported to the state office was 2,688, the largest number reported in a single day since the emergency order was sent out October 7.
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October 23, 1918.  Dr. Louis PINT, former state bacteriologist and at present connected with the research laboratory of the University of Chicago says that he has succeeded in isolating the germs responsible for the present Spanish Influenza epidemic and the regulation diphtheria antitoxin is an absolute specific for the disease.
  He said the epidemic was mainly caused by the present war diet and especially by the curtailment of the usual consumption of sugar. Dr. Pint said that he had treated seventy five cases with the diphtheria antitoxin without the loss of a single case.  (Another cure that proved to be useless.  mh)
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October 23, 1918.  Methodist ministers of this city have passed a resolution asking the Board of Health to close the saloons as well as the churches and the schools. They contend that the saloon is the place where men congregate in large numbers and that they drink out of the same glasses.
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October 23, 1918.  Some Things We Do Know about The Spanish Influenza.  Physicians say that the influenza need not be feared if we do not become too fearful of it and if we take responsible precautions against it. Every cold you now contract, every headache you have, every sudden rise in temperature, every sneeze, every cough and every feeling of chillness is not a sign that you have the disease. If that were true there would scarcely be a man, woman or child out of bed in the course of a week. But if you imagine one or more of these symptoms constitutes the dread disease, maybe it will. On the other hand, any of these may give rise to the suspicion, but only the bare suspicion, mind you, that you are approaching influenza and so call for your taking treatment immediately to ward off the possibility.
  Physicians have not succeeded in isolating the germ but they have figured out reasonably well the things that are conducive to its propagation and to the spread of the disease. Crowds are the worst. One victim of the disease sneezing in a company of people is said to have infected about one-fourth of the whole number. Therefore if you sneeze, use your handkerchief in order that you may not spread the disease even though you may not be unfortunate enough to contract it.
  And the physicians have come to believe the germ may be carried on the clothing or about the person of those who may not themselves be infected but who may have come in contact with influenza victims. Therefore if you have been around an influenza victim do not come in contact with well persons while wearing the same clothes that you had on when about the sick.
  By all means get as much fresh air and sunlight as possible and at night have your windows wide open. For that matter fresh air and sunlight are the deadliest foes of all germs and when you get into the habit of relying upon them as germicides you are not likely to need others.
  Keep your body in good condition. Good resistance to disease is nine-tenths of the battle before it is fought and all of the battle while it is being waged.
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October 23, 1918.  Scott HOCKINSMITH, son-in-law of Noah RICKERT, died last night at his home about seven miles northwest of Union City, of the Spanish flu, after about a week's illness. He leaves a wife and four small children.
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October 23, 1918.  Spanish Influenza - What It Is And How It Should Be Treated.  Nothing new - simply the old Grip or la Grippe that was epidemic in 1889-90, only then it came from Russia by way of France and this time by way of Spain.
  Go to bed and stay quiet, take a laxative, eat plenty of nourishing food, keep up your strength, Nature is the only cure. Always call a doctor. No occasion to panic.
  Spanish influenza, which appeared in Spain in May, has all the appearances of grip, or la grippe, which has swept over the world in numerous epidemics as far back as history runs. Hippocrates refers to an epidemic in 412 B.C., which is regarded by many to have been influenza. Every century has had its attacks. Beginning with 1831this country has had five epidemics, the last in 1889-90.
  There is no occasion for panic. Influenza itself has a very low percentage of fatalities, not over one death out of every 400 cases, according to the Board of Health. The chief danger lies in complications arising, attacking principally patients in a rundown condition, those who don't go to bed soon enough or those who get up too early.
  Grip, or influenza as it is now called, usually begins with a chill followed by aching, feverishness and sometimes nausea and dizziness and a general feeling of weakness and depression. The temperature is from 100 to 104 and the fever usually lasts from three to five days. The germs attack the mucous membrane or lining of the air passages, nose throat and bronchial tubes; there is usually a hard cough, especially bad at night; oftentimes a sore throat or tonsillitis and frequently all the appearances of a severe head cold.
  Go to bed at the first symptoms, not only for your sake, but to avoid spreading the disease to others, take a purgative, eat plenty of nourishing food, remain perfectly quiet and don't worry. Quinine, aspirin or Dover's Powders etc., may be administered by the physician's directions to relieve the aching. But there is no cure or specific treatment for influenza, the disease must run it's course. Nature herself will throw off the attack if only you keep your strength. The chief danger lies in the complications which may arise. Influenza so weakens the bodily resistance that there is danger of pneumonia or bronchitis developing and sometimes inflammation of the middle ear or heart affections. For these reasons it is very important that the patient remain in bed until his strength returns. Stay in bed at least two days or more after the fever has left you, or if you are over 50 or not strong, stay in bed four days or more according to the severity of the attack.
  Evidence seems to prove that this is a germ disease spread principally by human contact, chiefly through coughing, sneezing or spitting while talking. So avoid persons having colds, which means avoiding crowds, common drinking cups, roller towels etc. Keep up your bodily strength by plenty of exercise in the open air and eating good food.
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October 23, 1918.  Mrs. Ava GLUNT-GUNCKEL A Victim of the Spanish Influenza.  Cruel death removed a young mother and devoted wife from her family when Mrs. Ava Glunt-Gunckel, wife of Earl Gunckel of Union City, was called away after only a very short sickness and her death, which was caused by the dread Spanish Influenza, was a great shock to the community.
  Mrs. Gunckel, who was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Glunt, was a graduate of the Union City, Ind. High School and a popular member of the class of 1903.
  She is survived by her husband and two young sons, Charles Boyd and Robert who is also down sick with the disease.
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October 30, 1918.  Orders to eliminate immediately the manufacture of all fancy trimmed and split panel varieties of coffins and to be prepared to supply coffins uncovered or unfinished, if emergency demands, have been issued to all coffin manufacturers in view of the great demand for coffins for victims of the Spanish Influenza epidemic. The order, distributed by telegraph , directs manufacturers to confine their product to the most simple types until further orders. The order was received in Indianapolis by the Indianapolis and National Casket companies.
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