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Show THE SPANISH FLU. THE increase in the number of cases of Spanish influenza has resulted re-sulted in a decision to close churches, schools and theatres, and all other places of public assemblage. The prompt action of Dr. T. B. Beatty of the State Board of Health and Dr. Paul of the city in taking this precaution has met with general approval, for while as yet the epidemic is not serious it is better that every means be taken to prevent the spread of the disease than to wait until such time as there might possibly be hundreds of cases and proportionate mortality. It has been years since an epidemic of this character crossed the country, and when one realizes that within a fortnight approximately one million cases have been recorded in the United States, the measures meas-ures taken by the authorities, though seemingly drastic, are entirely justified. Spanish influenza has not been prevalent in the United States for many years but it always comes in the form of an epidemic, and at such a time as this, when everyone is needed to work or fight, it must be stamped out no matter what the individual sacrifice may be. While the majority of doctors and nurses know how to handle the disease, it has not been the subject of a great deal of study, owing to the fact that it has swept the country at such rare intervals. Of course it is very hard on everyone concerned; on teachers, stage hands, musicians and all others temporarily thrown out of employment employ-ment as well as the actors stranded in a dry town for whom there should be every consideration. But we must all do the best we can under the circumstances and trust vto the good judgment of such men as Dr. Beatty and Dr. Paul and their associates to do everything within their power to eliminate any danger of contagion and allay the alarm that has in many cities amounted to something akin to a panic. It took lots of people about a year to wake up to the fact that we were in the war. If the proper measures are used it should take only a short time to bring them to a realization of the danger of this disease. dis-ease. School boards, theatre ihanagers and all concerned are doing their utmost to cooperate with one exception as reported to date, that of Ogden, where Supt. H. C. Johnson is reported to have said that regardless re-gardless of whether the State Board of Health has issued an order or not, the schools will remain open. We do not know a great deal about Mr. Johnson or the board of education in Ogden but we feel certain that such an attitude will not meet with the approval of the good citizens citi-zens of that city, who are among the most progressive of any in the state. It strikes us as rather peculiar however, that just certain business houses will be closed. Why not close the stores, where the crowds gather, also the restaurants, and take down the bulletins from the newspaper windows in order to disperse the crowd? If business in one or two lines is to be immediately shut off why not make it general ? Unquestionably there is danger of the disease becoming prevalent but unless every place is closed where people congregate, we cannot see how the prevention can be anywhere near complete. With the first hysteria over there should be a revision of the closing rules and make it general or else open up again. IN response 'to the government's request that peach stones be saved ; receptacles have been placed in front of the leading department depart-ment stores throughout the city, and people are depositing such stones and the pits of other fruit in them to help win the war. Isn't this against the rules of the Mountain States Feeding Company and the ordinance put through by a majority of the city commissioners for the Mountain States Feeding Company, regarding the disposal of various va-rious kinds of garbage? If the government and the people have anything to say about it, both will probably win out, but we should like a strict interpretation of the law on the subject from some of those who fathered the ordinance ordi-nance so that we may judge whether helping to win the war or help-- help-- ing to feed the Mountain States Feeding Company is the most important. |