“B. Franklin Royer.
“Acting Commissioner of Health.”
On October 23 the eighth Emergency Hospital in the 5th District was opened in the Maffet Street School building at Plains, Luzerne County, with Miss May Conlon, Graduate Nurse, as chief nurse.
On October 25 the following-named United States Army medical officers, who had been on duty in the 5th District, returned, under orders, to Camp Crane: Lieut. C. F. Bahler, Lieut. Joseph Goldstone, Lieut. G. T. Meek and Lieut. J. a.m. Aspy. Capt. E. L. Hendricks, being ill at Hotel Sterling, remained here some days longer. Upon the abovementioned date General Dougherty, Chairman of the General Committee, telegraphed to Gen. Peyton C. March, Chief of Staff, U.S.A., as follows:
“By systematic organization and effort we have been endeavoring to combat Spanish Influenza in Luzerne County, with its population of 350,000 souls. We had 300 registered physicians in the County, of whom 115 have gone into the military service. We has over 12,000 cases [of influenza] in the County, and have established, in addition to the regular hospitals, seven emergency hospitals. But three medical officers of those who were sent here from Camp Crane now remain. Six thousand mine workers are ill with the disease, thus reducing the daily output of anthracite coal 15,000 tons, or at the rate of 300,000 tons per month. We are informed that you have 4,000 medical officers in training at Camp Greenleaf. We must have twenty-five physicians sent here at once. Please give us this number of physicians, as the spread of the disease is increasing, and we must have medical assistance. Our doctors are exhausted.”
At a meeting of the General Committee held October 26 Chairman Dougherty reported that the Commissioners of Luzerne County had appropriated $25,000. to be used in defraying the expenses incurred in combating the epidemic in Luzerne County.[[5]] It was the general opinion of the members of the committee present that this money should not be distributed among the various communities entitled to it until the end of the epidemic. It was pointed out, however, that several communities had already made applications for needed funds. It was finally decided that a committee composed of the Chairman and three other members of the General Committee should prepare, and report at a subsequent meeting, a plan for the proper expenditure of the County appropriation.
[5]. About this time the City Council of Wilkes-Barré made a special appropriation of $5,000. to be used in fighting the “flu” in the city. This sum was in addition to the regular annual appropriation for the city’s Bureau of Health.
Colonel Eyer reported on conditions at the Armory Emergency Hospital, and stated that many of the patients who had died there were practically in a dying condition when received into the hospital. At 9:20 o’clock p.m. the Committee adjourned and proceeded to the Lehigh Valley Railroad station, where the following-named United States Army medical officers were met upon their arrival from Camp Crane, Allentown, Pennsylvania, for epidemic work in Luzerne County, and were assigned to duty as herein noted.
Capt. H. W. Dessaussure (in command) and Lieuts. E. J. Burke, E. Z. Brunner, L. H. Hills and J. B. McGuinness, to report to Dr. J. W. Leckie at the Hazleton Emergency Hospital; Capts. E. B. Chenowith and Evan S. Evans, U.S.M.C., to the Wilkes-Barré Armory Hospital; Lieuts. Robert Funston and A. C. Hall to report to Dr. Stricker at Nanticoke; Lieut. Frank F. Davis to report to Dr. Stricker for service at Glen Lyon; Lieut. Leroy Fredericks to report to Dr. Stricker for service at the Wanamie Emergency Hospital; Lieut. H. R. Lipscomb to be physician in charge at the Plains Emergency Hospital.
On this date, according to a report submitted by the County Medical Inspector to the State department of Health, the number of influenza and pneumonia patients undergoing treatment in the various hospitals in the 5th District were as follows: Hazleton Emergency, 22; Exeter Emergency, 70; Dupont Emergency, 9; Wanamie Emergency, 55; Wilkes-Barré Armory Emergency, 46; Catawissa Emergency, 8; Plains Emergency, 19; Nanticoke Emergency, ?; Hazleton State, 75; Nesbitt West Side, 14; Wyoming Valley Homœopathic, 15; Nanticoke State, 13; Mercy, 30; Wilkes-Barré City, 64; Bloomsburg, 19; Berwick, 26. (Riverside Hospital, Wilkes-Barré, had received no “flu” patients.)