The ongoing World War I takes up much of the paper with information on the influenza epidemic in the back pages of the paper. The Surgeon General recommends what we now refer to as social distancing from the ill to the extent possible in overcrowded houses and recommends lots of fresh air. Nurses and patients are recommended to wear gauze masks. Women in Rochester are asked to sign up to help treat the ill. In the courts, one member of a jury became sick during jury deliberations and went home after leaving their vote for the judge. In another case, it was noted that “The rest of the case will be tried at some future date because the plaintiff as well as the members of her family are in the hospital suffering with pneumonia.” For the first time the “disease yesterday was classed as reportable and it became possible for the first time to obtain a fairly accurate idea of the number of cases in the city.” About 2,500 people in Rochester were ill. There were 25 deaths since the start of the month. Doctors were not shocked as there were normally 40 or more deaths for pneumonia in a month. Nonproven remedies were offered. Deaths from the War and from the pandemic were both reported in the paper.

© by Daniel DeMarle 4/22/2020