to didactic teaching.” In Chicago a new argument for the closing of theatres was advanced. It was said that with no place to go many people retired earlier and obtained more than their accustomed amount of rest. It was believed that this aided in increasing their natural resistance. The argument that the closing of these places served only to delay the epidemic is an argument in favor of the measure, because the virulence of the disease decreased rapidly as the epidemic progressed. _The Closing of Schools_ Boards of Health generally were opposed to the closing of the public schools. This position gave rise to innumerable clashes with anxious parents. The health authorities took the position that children were relatively insusceptible to influenza; that while they were quiet in a well-ventilated schoolroom they were little exposed; that those who coughed or sneezed could be examined at once, and that daily school inspection would lead to early discoveries of all cases, so that doctors and nurses could take immediate steps to treat the patients and to protect the families from which they came. Copeland advocated the continuance of the schools in New York, and based his position on the fact that out of 1,000,000 children in New York City 700,000 came from tenement homes. He believed these children were far better off in school, where they received daily medical attention, than upon the streets or in unhygienic homes. In Pittsburgh the school children were quizzed as to the number of sick at home, and this gave valuable information on the stage of the epidemic. They were sent home with printed warnings against sneezing, coughing and spitting, and were thus used as a means of instructing their parents. The Pittsburgh schools were kept open until the sickness of a number of teachers and the withdrawal of many scholars made it advisable to close. Three very potent arguments have been brought forward in favor of closing the schools: (1) As long as the schools are open children from infected homes are forced into contact with children from uninfected homes, and we are at present unaware of the extent to which the disease may be carried by a third person. (2) Children in as yet uninfected homes which are comfortable and hygienic are far better off than they are in school, and can hardly be considered in the same class with children from unclean tenements. (3) If the period of greatest contagion is before symptoms develop, inspection, while valuable for the institution of treatment, cannot hope to aid in curbing the epidemic. It is evident that different measures must be employed in applying closing orders to crowded cities, moderately large towns and rural districts. The difficulty lies in determining the best means for serving each community. _The Closing of Public Dance Halls_