The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918 / An Account of Its Ravages in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and the Efforts Made to Combat and Subdue It

by Oscar Jewell Harvey

It was stated, in this connection, that over 2,000 school teachers throughout the State had been active in helping to fight the epidemic.

Upon motion of Percy A. Brown it was voted to publish the letter of the Acting Commissioner of Health, and to urge all school boards and Sunday Schools not to reopen their schools without first consulting the Boards of Health of their respective localities, to learn whether or not the resumption of school sessions would cause a further spread of the epidemic.

Chairman Dougherty, referring to the work of the various committees in this locality during the epidemic, stated that, while talking at Harrisburg a few days previously with Dr. Royer, the Acting Commissioner of Health, the latter informed him that the epidemic organization in Luzerne County was “the finest in the country, and the people of this County deserve great credit for the work done.” General Dougherty then read a letter which he had just received from the Acting Commissioner, in part as follows:

“I am very greatly indebted to you for the splendid story of the Emergency hospitals, and to note what a tremendous amount of public interest your committee has aroused. It is only by such community service that it has been possible to save the number of lives of miners that we have saved during this public health drive. Too much credit cannot be given to your local committee, and I shall see to it that the press gives the local people a great share of credit.”

Wm. C. Shepherd expressed the opinion that the General Committee should communicate to the various communities in the County the suggestions of the State Department of Health with reference to the lifting of the quarantine ban wherever it had been imposed.

Percy A. Brown, Chairman of the Coöperation Committee, reported that while the latest reports received showed there had been a general falling off of the disease, the daily average of new cases was about seven per district, compared with a recent average of ten per district. He stated that he expected to send out on the ensuing day, to every community chairman in Luzerne County, a questionnaire asking for certain information regarding the total number of cases and of deaths that had occurred since the beginning of the epidemic, together with a complete record of all workers, paid and volunteer. Later on, he said, he hoped to have a meeting of the various chairmen, with a view to forming an organization to prevent a recurrence of dangerous conditions during future epidemics.

County Controller Hendershot suggested that Chairman Brown’s questionnaire should include a call for information with respect to the number of children orphaned by the epidemic. He said that if he could secure such information he would take it to Harrisburg and endeavor to secure additional aid from the State for the care of such children. He said he believed that the State would increase the Mothers’ Pension Fund appropriation in order to handle such cases.

Wm. C. Shepherd declared that the gathering of various statistics, as proposed, would bring together valuable information for use in preparing for publication a history of the epidemic. These facts, in his judgment, should be printed and preserved for the benefit of future generations. In this connection the Rev. Father McCabe suggested that it would be wise not to take the census of the various communities until the epidemic was thoroughly stamped out. Dr. S. P. Mengel also stated that it would be unwise to take a census until the epidemic was over; and, as to the final data to be secured by a census, he said that only those facts furnished by the medical authorities should be accepted, inasmuch as no one else was competent to determine whether or not a person alleged to have been ill with influenza had suffered from that disease or something else.

The County Medical Inspector told of what had been done at Pottsville, Schuylkill County, towards taking care of the children made orphans by the epidemic. He also stated that he would like to see a community census taken, and a permanent record made of all persons who had helped in combating the epidemic in Luzerne County.

Dr. E. L. Meyers, a member of the School Board of the City of Wilkes-Barré, told of the good work performed by school teachers during the epidemic and in various public movements, and suggested that, when a census of community conditions should be made, the aid of school teachers and school superintendents should be enlisted in the work. He then offered the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted.