The Influenza Pandemic of 1918

Desiree DartingMrs. BrueggenU.S. History/pd. 414 Feb 2011

What Was The Influenza Pandemic of 1918?

An epidemic is a rapid increase of something, in this case, the flu. A

pandemic can be defined as an epidemic spread over a wide geographic area,

affecting large populations. The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 was one of the worst

epidemics in the U.S. It killed more Americans than all the combat deaths of this

century combined (more than 600,000). When the virus first broke out, doctors were

basically helpless and had no clue how they were going to stop it all. Though they

knew the disease spread through the air, medical researchers were unable to see the

tiny virus through microscopes of the time. Vaccines they developed didn’t work, and

unfortunately the death rate kept growing steadily. People tried everything to avoid

becoming a victim. They turned to home remedies, closed schools, and public health

officials even distributed masks. Laws also made it forbidden for the public to spit on

the streets, but nothing seemed to slow it down. Soldiers traveled in crowded

transport ships. The disease spread everywhere.

What Is Wrong With Our Soldiers?

When healthy young soldiers began getting sick, military physicians were unsure what was causing it (the flu).

Scientific Research

The only optical microscopes available to scientists in 1918 were not advanced enough to see the small flu virus, and so the source of the soldiers’ illness remained a mystery.

Were These Vaccines Helping?

The vaccines being developed at the time were helpful in fighting other diseases such as Typhoid fever, however nothing seemed to work for the influenza virus.

Getting the Vaccine Injection

This jet injector was used to give a patient a swine flu vaccine injection in 1976 as part of the government’s “swine flu” vaccination campaign.

An Autopsy

This autopsy done in a hospital in France revealed to doctors the fact that influenza victims were left with blue appearing lungs filled with liquid.

A Scary Prediction…

“If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth.”- Surgeon General Vaughan

Everyone Wore Face Masks…

Officials advised everyone to wear face masks at all times, which meant also wearing them indoors. Many were under the impression that they could contract the disease by handling everyday objects such as documents or utensils.

A letter carrier in New York wearing a mask for protection; nurse wearing a mask while working.

…And I Mean Everyone

A street car conductor in Seattle would not allow passengers aboard without a mask; public health officials required both passengers and employees to wear masks also.

(cont.)

U.S. Public Health Service Flyer

The U.S. Public Health Service handed out flyers informing the public on how to take precautions to reduce the risk of catching influenza.

Obey the laws And wear the gauze

Protect your jaws From Septic Paws

A Popular Rhyme During the Pandemic

This is a telegram from the county food administrator to headquarters in Oklahoma City, regarding cancellation of public meetings due to influenza.

U.S. Food Administration

This is a report on staffing crisis at a military department in Philadelphia, stating that eleven commissioned officers and fourteen hundred eighty nine employers were absent because of influenza.

Reports on Staffing Crisis in Philadelphia

At the Reno (Nevada) Agency, an agent took notes and photos, writing: "In this shack I found four people laying on the dirt floor wrapped in rags apparently all suffering from influenza." The effect of the flu on Indian Reservations was well documented because of the Federal government.

Indian Reservations Were Also Affected

This was a crowded sleeping area on the Drill Floor of the Main Barracks; signs were placed on the wall stating that spitting on the floor was forbidden.

Naval Training Station, San Francisco, California

An emergency hospital set up in Kansas that was more than occupied by victims of influenza.

A Military Hospital Ward in 1918

The Fear of Death

“Everybody was living in deadly fear because it was so quick, so sudden, and so terrifying. It destroyed the intimacy that existed among people.” – William Sardo (son of a funeral director during the pandemic)

William Sardo’s son holding a picture of him.

“Five Times Deadlier Than World War”

Once the flu virus abruptly stopped spreading, it was devastating to see how many people had died from it. Worldwide, it was estimated that the influenza had claimed six million lives. Those who had survived were left to mourn and grieve for all the loved ones lost.

Sources

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epidemic http://evans.amedd.army.mil/PandemicFlu/1918.htm http://www.pastforward.ca/perspectives/april_182003.htm http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16194254/ns/health-infectious_diseases http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/fluscimed.html#etiology http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/ev-1910s/ev-1918/influenz.htm http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/records-list.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/photo-gallery/influenza/