51,217 Soldiers in Camps in U.S. Reported Ill With Influenza, 1918

“Influenza Epidemic Shows Great Increase,” from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Va., Sept. 29, 1918

More Than 2,000 Cases Added to Surgeon-General’s List From Army Camps. .  51,217 Soldiers Reported Ill

Washington, September 28—The Spanish influenza epidemic raging in the army camps in the United States to-day made the greatest gain of any day since the disease first appeared in the camps. An increase of more than 2,000 new cases during the past 24 hours is shown by telegraphic reports received by the surgeon-general up to noon to-day. The total reported to-day was 8,830, as compared with 717 for the previous period.

The total number of influenza cases to date in the army camps is given officially as 51,217.

A decided decrease is shown in the number of new cases of pneumonia. For the past 24 hours, 548 new pneumonia cases were reported, as compared with 717 for the previous day.

This decrease for the day, however, does not indicate, say the medical officers, that fewer cases of pneumonia will be reported. It is more than probable that as the number of cases of influenza increase, there will be a relative increase in the number pneumonia cases.

Seventeen camps reported more than 50 new cases of influenza, while seven reported less than 50 new cases. The number of new cases at Camps Dix, Grant, Jackson, Lee and Meade reveal the situation as serious at those points.

The epidemic is believed to have spent its force at Camp Devens, as the number of new cases if falling daily. To-day 153 new cases developed, bringing the total up to 12,379. The new cases of pneumonia at Devens was 79, bringing the total for this disease to 1,707.

[Paragraph on Camp Pike in Arkansas unreadable]

Deaths reported from the camps also show an increase. To-day’s total was 247, as compared with 170 for the previous 24 hour period. The greatest number of deaths occurred at Camp Devens, which reported 90, as compared with 81 for the preceding day.

Since September 13, the date of the beginning of the epidemic of influenza at this camp, 476 deaths have been reported from Camp Devens, practically all of them resulting from pneumonia following influenza.