Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
During the period of the epidemic at Princeton that university had 1,050
students, and the first cases appeared shortly after the opening of the
college term on September 24. As a precautionary measure, every case,
when even only suspicious, was sent to the infirmary. In all, there were
about 70 cases in the university and about 45 cases from the United
States School of Military Aeronautics. Only one member in the latter
school died of pneumonia. There were no deaths among the students at the
university. In this part of the country the weather was most delightful
all autumn, being warm and dry, very little rain having occurred since
the end of July. At the date of the inquiry the epidemic had
disappeared—that is, about December 21—there being only two very mild
cases under suspicion. In the town of Princeton, outside of the
university, the conditions were much more serious than in the university
itself. Influenza appeared in the homes of many of the poor people of
the immigrant class, so that it was not uncommon for four or five
members of one family to be infected at once. In one family of seven,
five serious cases of pneumonia developed. An emergency hospital was
opened by the authorities and 40 cases of pneumonia were treated. Of
these approximately one-half died. At the time this report was furnished
the epidemic seemed to have disappeared.
The number of students enrolled at the University of Virginia was 957.
The first cases occurred as early as September 24. There were 290 of
these in number, and three died of broncho-pneumonia. The epidemic was
reported as having abated on December 15, but a few cases appeared after
that date.
_1918 Epidemic at Pittsburgh_
At the Army General Hospital No. 24, located at Hoboken, a few miles
outside of the city of Pittsburgh, on September 28 two soldiers were
taken ill and, with the disease unrecognized, they were removed to the
cantonment hospital at Point Breeze, within the city proper. The men
were found a few days later to be suffering from influenza, and from
this presumable source an epidemic spread rapidly among the troops and
student soldiers located here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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