OCR Text |
Show DR. MIDDIEWS 1P.EII LETTER 09 FLU SIII!JIIIJI II. N. Standish, local health officer, asks that, the following letter from Dr. O. W. MIddleton on the flu sltua-tlon sltua-tlon which was published in the Des-eret Des-eret News be reproduced In the Press Bulletin for the benefit of the people here: The burning Issue of the hour in Utah is this influenza epidemic. State officials are quoted almost every day and have been for the last six weeks as saying the thing Is ending; we are getting It In hand and shall soon be able to open up and resume our nor-j nor-j nml conditions. 'But the f act remains re-mains that new cases are developing by the hundreds; and the fine vigorous vigor-ous men and women of our state are being cut down in the prime of their life, oi'ten leaving families of orphan children to mourn alter them. What assurance have we with existing mo-thods mo-thods that the thing will not continue all winter? It might in time end of its owh accord if wo did nothing to help ourselves. I wish to say here that 1 am willing to back up and help to enforce any measure put -forth by local or state officials that can have any beneficial bering on the case whatsoever. Such regulations as have been ordered are all good In their way, but I am convinced con-vinced beyond doubt that the real effectual ef-fectual thing Is being blocked and prevented for motives which I cannot fully understand. -Why Not Used? It Is my understanding that the city officials of Salt Lake City, including all the members of the city board of health, are converted to compulsory masking, and yet we do not get an order or-der enforcing It I would like to know why officials are raking this country with a fine tooth comb to try and find theoretical objoctions to the mask Instead of accepting the statements which I shall pro-luce from the health boa-ds of Ran Franclsce Rnd Berkeley and Oakland, where. "the things has been a grest and dramatic success. I would like to ask you. Dr. IJeatty, secretary sec-retary of the stale board of health, why you appeared In a meeting of the Salt Lake "City health board and begged beg-ged them not to pass a compulsory marking order when they were all ready to do It? Citizens of Utah, is there any one of you who would not willingly put up with the Inconvenience of masking If it would save one single Ffe and m-1 pecially if that one life belonged ' to j your own home circle. We are threat- ened with a menace unprecedented In our experience. In God's name, If i there Is anything we can do let ua hp ' up and do'ng before the open gulf swallows up more of our good citl mis. Information From Coast Desiring first hand information from cities which have had experience ' vith fornnniiory maqk'ng I wrote letters let-ters to the boards of health of San t- Nncisoo and Berkeley and Oakland. Their answers which are before me are as follows "In response to your letter permit me to say that our experience with masking has been most gratifying and the epidemic diminished absolutely as the masking Increased. I cannot speak too forcibly about the feeling of those who were, most concerned and bent Informed as to the progress of the epidemic as influenced by the mask; '"Very truly, DVNI1-X CKOSBY. "EVnm Ran PrnnMsm' "In reply beg to state that the use of the face mask was Lie deciding factor in preventing the spread of thia disease among the population of our city, the opinion of the secretary of the state board of health of this state San Fronc'-i the peak was reaped on October .. with 2300 cases. Four days prior to that the city began the "se of the face mask. Ater this foil" days use ofthe mask, towlt on the roth, there was a drop of four hun- drd cases, on the following day, the ?.?th. there was another drop of 4'0 cases. Then the battle between Influenza Influ-enza and the mask or preventive measure mea-sure evidently took place and resulted result-ed In an almost stationary period for three days. Then came the conquest a drop of $00 cases and from then on the epidemic was conquered in this city," be'ng officially declared abated November 16, when our sister city of J.ob Angeles was still running COO to R00 cases daily and for the last ten days has been running from 300 to 600 cases. Very trulv . WM, C. 1USLER. From Berkeley: "We believe that compulsory masking mask-ing was one great factor in abating the epidemic of Spanish Influenza in Berkeley. In view of tho experience of San Francisco and Oakland and Berkeley I believe it to be gross negligence neg-ligence for any community nut to pass a compulsory masking ordinance. SInccrelv. J. J. -DENTON. From Utah Towns In rep'v to telpgrams to Logan Provo, and Denver, Dr, J. p. Lnndcr-hc-jr'T received emphat'c answers that the musk Is an effectual preventive. preven-tive. In conclusion allow me to relate the experience of a lady .saleswoman In one of the department stores of this city, who called me to attend he.r Hnce this letter was begun. She sav she frequently hna ctt.totners cough in her face, and then say by way of apology, "O, esciiHO me, I am Just getting over the flu jiriiWMiiii.in' G- AV' MlrjDU2TON. . ' |