On This Day, 3 December 1918

Birmingham Daily Post 

Tuesday 3 December 1918

INFLUENZA IN BIRMINGHAM.

THE WORST EPIDEMIC OF MODERN TIMES.

The influenza in Birmingham appears to be worse rather than better, and it is so severe that, in the opinion of those whose judgment is trustworthy, it is the most serious epidemic of any disease in modern times with which Birmingham has been afflicted. So bad is it that the Lord Mayor (Alderman Sir David Brooks) has called a meeting of hospital physicians and representative medical men, to be held to-day, for the purpose of considering whether anything more is possible to be done to stop the ravages of the disease, and also whether anything further is practicable to lessen the mortality arising from the malady.

The total number of deaths in the city last week was 717, and of these no fewer than 504 were due to influenza and respiratory diseases. These figures are considerably in advance of previous weeks, and the death rate was raised to 43.0 per 1,000 of the population, as compared with 35.6 and 28.5 in the two preceding weeks, and 8.2 the corresponding week of last year. From influenza the deaths numbered 381, an increase of 103 on the week, and 146 more than the week ended November 16. In the corresponding week of last year there were two deaths from influenza. From respiratory diseases there were last week 123 deaths, a decrease of seven on the week, but an increase of 38 over the preceding week. In the corresponding week of last year the deaths from respiratory diseases numbered 19. Some of the deaths from these diseases could not be attributable to influenza, but no doubt the majority were, and Dr. Robertson, the Medical Officer of Health, expressed the opinion that nearly 500 deaths were, directly or indirectly, due to influenza. There is evidence that in a good many districts of the city the number of new cases is now beginning to decline, and as death does not occur as a rule for a week or ten days after the disease has been contracted, it is hoped that the maximum mortality has been reached, and that the record of deaths for the current week will show appreciable diminution over last week’s serious total. The disease is fairly evenly distributed throughout the city. Taking the last two weeks, the difference in the mortality in some districts is slight, and those are the places as a rule which have been longest affected; in other districts there was a sharp rise in the number of deaths, and those were the parts which had been more recently attacked.

It was reported yesterday that 30 elementary schools, comprising about 60 departments, were closed, so that a much larger number were able to resume than week ago, when the number of departments closed was practically double. As previously explained, the normal absences allowed for in a school are 10%, and when the absentees rise to 35%, showing that 25% of the children have been attacked by influenza, the school is closed for a week. In several instances yesterday the attendance was sufficiently good to warrant the work being continued, but in other cases it was found necessary to send the children home again for another week, and a few more schools which had hitherto escaped were not in sufficient strength to begin work, and they, too, were closed. The attendance of children, generally speaking, at all the schools is very low at the present time, barely up to the normal which warrants the teaching staff continuing their duties. We stated last week that the Local Government Board had had a vaccine prepared for use where desirable. On the application of the Medical Officer of Health, a supply of vaccine for use in this city has been received and distributed among a certain number of medical men, who are using it for the purposes of inoculation. It is, however, too early yet to say what the result of the vaccination may be. In fact, it may be six weeks or two months before Dr. Robertson receives from the doctors sufficient evidence which will enable him to form an opinion as to the efficacy of the vaccine.