Grim day as Geelong records first death
AFTER six months wondering if Spanish flu would descend on Geelong, it undoubtedly hit in February, 1919.
State borders, schools and pubs closed, while gatherings of 20 people were banned.
Churches resolved to hold their services outside as fresh air felt like a good remedy at the time.
Here’s how the Addy reported the pandemonium and, for some, tragedy.
February 3, 1919 DR NEWMAN HAS ONE CASE
THAT MAY BE SERIOUS
Dr Newman, borough health officer, on Saturday visited the houses of two suspected cases of pneumonic influenza.
Whilst one was found to have been a pretty bad case, both had made rapid recoveries, and will be about in a day or two.
He was satisfied there was no necessity for isolation. Dr Newman has a case under his care at North Geelong which he views with a good deal of suspicion, and if there is no improvement this morning the patient will be transferred to the hospital.
In conversation with an Advertiser representative last evening, Dr Newman expressed the opinion that “there is too much panic altogether. People should take it more quietly”.
He advises everybody to get inoculated, and says that the vaccine is going to be productive and of much good. It is on the right lines, and will prevent the spread of the disease.
Doctors are under a penalty of £20 for failing to report all cases of influenza, especially those with serious symptoms.
Forty-five persons had the ‘B’ strength vaccine injected at the Geelong West Town Hall on Saturday by Dr F. J. Newman, borough health officer, and he afterwards treated 50 with the ‘A’ strength.
Several poor families attended, and the doctor generously declined to receive the fees for the children. The total treated during the morning was 95.
Dr Newman will again attend at noon today to inoculate. In order to convenience a number of ratepayers, who could not leave their work during the day to visit the town hall, Dr. Newman has arranged for evening operations.
The first will take place punctually at 8 o’clock tonight.
THE MAN IN A PANIC HAS NOT
GOT HOME!
We reported on Friday that a grazier who had been staying at Warrnambool decided to return to New South Wales by car — fearing he might catch Spanish influenza on the train.
He came by train as far as Geelong and determined to evade Melbourne, hired a car on the Little Malop St rank, and paid £25.
Victoria’s capital city was given a wide berth and the car ride along the Sydney road would have been most enjoyable but for the haunting thought that the state was infected.
Cobram was reached without any encounters with pneumococcus germs or bushrangers, and the grazier was within sight of his “beloved, clean, germ-proof New South Wales”— halfway across the bridge over the Murray, in fact — when he was stopped by the police.
As far as is known, he is still in Cobram, 120 miles from his home, and on the wrong side of the river. The motor car returned to
Geelong on Saturday evening.
“The doctors are not the only people who are getting a cut out of the flu,” he said.
SUSPECTS AT
NORTH GEELONG
Cases which were believed to be in Geelong West territory have been found to be within the city area — Liverpool St, North Geelong.
The father of a family who recently came from Melbourne had on Sunday evening a very high temperature, and Dr Newman, who was treating the suspect, yesterday morning deemed it wise to send him into the hospital.
A young son developed evidences of pneumonic complications, and he too was sent to the hospital for observation.
Dr Newman gave directions for fumigating the premises, and instructions to the rest of the family.
Three of the children were later in the day inoculated as a precaution.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
At a meeting yesterday of the Council of the Church of England Grammar School at Corio, it was decided owing to the outbreak of influenza not to reopen the school on the 11th inst., as arranged, but to postpone it until further notice.
The parents will be notified of this decision, and again communicated with prior to the reassembling.
GEELONG COLLEGE
It has been decided, in view of the government’s restrictions in the assembling of more than 20 persons, by the council controlling the Geelong College, not to reassemble the scholars for the time being.
The college was to reopen after the vacation on the 11th inst.
An advertisement is to be inserted in the press, notifying the re-opening of the classes.
THE EPIDEMIC SPREADS AND THE INFECTIVITY IS MORE
MARKED
All the states must prepare The cases reported to the Board of Health yesterday were as follows:
Cities — Bendigo 5; Brunswick 33; Camberwell 2; Caulfield 10; Collingwood 24; Essendon 4; Fitzroy 12; Footscray 9; Geelong 2; Hawthorn 8; Malvern 9; Melbourne 48; Richmond 34; St Kilda 10; South Melbourne 14; total 257.
Towns — Ballarat East 2; Brighton 1; Coburg 1; Kew 1; Port Melbourne 11; Williamstown 9; total 25.
Boroughs — Eaglehawk 1; Maryborough 6; Oakley 2; Sandringham 5; total 11.
In addition, 86 cases were