From: Oakland Tribune, 12 October 1918, Page 11, Column 6
223 CASES OF INFLUENZA IN OAKLAND NOW
One hundred twenty three cases of Spanish influenza in Oakland were reported to the city health authorities since yesterday noon, making a total of 223 cases in this city. Many cases reported have not as yet been investigated and are not included in the total given.
Telephone calls every few minutes summon representatives of the city board of health to homes, hospitals, and other institutions. While no fatalities have been reported, the board of health admits that the situation is causing considerable alarm.
Further steps will be taken in an effort to check the malady, which is gaining headway every hour. In all probability a meeting of the Alameda County Medical Association will be called very soon to consider means of combating the contagion.
CASES IN ALAMEDA
ALAMEDA, Oct. 12.- The Health Department announced today that from five cases of Spanish influenza of Friday a jump to sixty cases has been made in twenty-four hours. City Physician Arthur Hieronymus announces that these cases did not develop over night, but the health departmen had called on the physicians of the city and requested every case under their care be reported. The result indicated that the cases as they ahd developed had not been reported. All are suffering from the disease in a very mild form.
CHECK EPIDEMIC AT U. C.
BERKELEY, Oct. 12-That the epidemic of Spanish influenza has been checked at the University of California was the declaration today of university officials, who reported but five new respiratory cases yesterday and ten discharges from the infirmary.
According to the university physician, Captain Robert. T. Legge, the number of cases of this type of infection is on the decrease. The medical authorities at the university declare they have the situation well in hand and it is believed that a general epidemic of Spanish influenza and related diseases will be avoided. Any danger of overcrowding in the infirmary has been obviated by the utilization of the Zeta Psi fraternity house opposite the infirmary. Sixteen patients are at present housed in this building.
Of the sixty-eight cases of all kinds at present in the infirmary, sixty-three are termed "respiratory" by the physicians in charge. Of the sixty-eight, twenty-three are members of the Students' Army Training Corps, seven are members of the Naval unity, four are non-military male students, fifteen are flying cadets from the school of military aeronautics, and nineteen are women students. But two of the cases in the infirmary have any lung involvement and both of these are reported to be improving. It is estimated that there are twenty-five or thirty cases in the university community which have not been lodged at the infirmary. With the continuance of fair weather, and with sunshine predominating throughout the day, the medical authorities feel that the spread of the infection will be checked promptly.
