Salt Lake Tribune | 1916-01-04 | Page 4 | Influenza Spreads over United States

!iiyei SPREADS OVER UfilTED STATES From Coast to Coast Epidemic Epi-demic Is Most Serious Known to Officials. LARGE TOLL IN LIVES Great Economic Loss in All Walks of Life by Incapacitation Incapac-itation of Workers. WASHINGTON, Jan. Influenza . is tpreadmg o er the Fnited States from i-o;i st to coast in (lie urns I serious epidemic epi-demic ever known, taklne a large toll of li vrs and causing economic loss by incapacitating in-capacitating workers in all walks of life. Reports from public health officers made public tonight by Surgeon General Blue show that already the disease has created a grave problem for many of the larger citifs and is spreading to the rural communities. com-munities. New York, Chia go. Philadelphia. Boston, Bos-ton, San Franvisro. Seattle, Cleveland and Detroit reported the disease widely prevalent. Cleveland and Detroit pach have probably luu.uOn rases. Of the larger vities, L'.v, ffalo, Pittsburg, Baltimore, San Die go. Dallas and Mobile reported no sinus of the epidemic. There is practically nothing the federal fed-eral government can do toward aiding in the suppression of the epidemic. It must be dealt with by lo"al authorities, and they, in turn, it is explained, ore almost, helpless without co-operation from the public. Surgeon General Blue said tonight to-night he called for reports from all parts of the country with the hope that publicity pub-licity would tend to stimulate this cooperation. co-operation. Statistics on Influenza are difficult to obtain, because (he disease is not classed as "reportable" in many cities. Consequently, Conse-quently, most of the public health officers were obliged to send in information based to some extent on their personal observations. observa-tions. Where Epidemic Prevails. Some of the dispatches were summarized sum-marized by fc'urgeon General Blue as follows: fol-lows: New York Disease widely spread. Marked increase in pneumonia mortality. Also in mortality of persons over 65 years of age. Health department sending out warnings. Chicago T.,ast week there were fifty-seven fifty-seven deaths from influenza ; thirty deaths the week before. There were 1-140 cases oF pneumonia In December, with fifiS deaths, of which 2"1 occurred in the last four days. San Francisco Epidemic of influenza widespread and severe. Reported as the most severe experienced since 1SH1. Seattle Influenza reported epidemic throughout state. Including Seattle; moderately mod-erately severe type. Schools partially depopulated de-populated in many places. Increase of 15 per cent In deaths from all causes In Seattle during December. Influenza a , factor, together with complications, principally prin-cipally pneumonia. Los Angeles Extended epidemic of influenza in-fluenza of moderate severity began about two months ago and not diminished. Fan Diego Few enses of influenza reported re-ported recently. Dallas Influenza not epidemic. Moderate Mod-erate number of cases. Portland, Ore. Xo epidemic. A few severe caseB.