The "When Will We Ever Learn?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Grabbed my mail from the mailbox and on the way into the house found that I had just received my latest edition of "The Journal of Lancaster County's Historical Society."  The front of the new arrival was black with silver and white lettering and a large red three inch strip across it with the word PANDEMIC in white lettering.  The entire edition was devoted to the 1918 Influenza epidemic.  There were six "chapters" to the journal with a few of the "chapters" titled: Roadblocks, Influenza, and "Jellyfish" Policy. Dr. Benjamin Franklin Royer's Quarantine Order in the City of Lancaster (1918), written by Gerald Huesken, was the longest of the chapters in the journal.  As I began to read the journal I felt as if it was happening all over again.  Sickness and death were sprinkled throughout Lancaster County just as it is today.  Rules and regulations were set for the betterment of the local community, just as they have been in the past year.  And, some in the county felt they knew better and decided to go against the regulations that had been set, just as in the past few months.  The entire Journal was devoted to how Lancaster dealt with the 1918 Pandemic.  I also found an article titled "Foiling Influenza" which was posted on the "LancasterHistory" archives blog on May 28, 2020 by Martha Abel.  It told how Lancaster dealt with the 1918 Pandemic.  Titles of a few sections were: How To Avoid It - How To Care For Those Who Have It and What To Do Until The Doctor Comes.  The similarities and differences between the 1918 and the 2020 Pandemics are dramatic.  Many mistakes have been repeated, but we did learn a little from our mistakes 102 years ago.  In 1918 nurses wore masks while treating the sick.  The masks were supplied by the Red Cross with several ladies' groups sewing them.  A special article in the Lancaster Intelligencer on October 12, 1918 told how to make your own mask.  In 1918 the U.S. Public Health Service told everyone to "wash your hands before you eat and keep your fingers out of your mouth."  In 2020 the CDC tells you to "wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after being in a public place as well as after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing."  It is known that coughs and sneezes spread disease, but spit spreads death.  In 1918 fresh air was encouraged and if a person thought they may be getting sick, they should gather blankets and open the windows all night.  The local trolleys were supposed to keep all their windows open, but when cold weather set in, the first three windows in the car were all that needed to be opened.  Lancaster Central Market in downtown Lancaster was allowed to be open during the height of the pandemic, but the market house was carefully fumigated by city employees after every day it was open.  Formaldehyde was one of the choices for disinfection.  On-duty nurses were supposed to wash their hands with a mercury solution or Liquor Cresol which is a derivative of coal tar.  The chemicals were extremely toxic to humans, but still used since they were effective in killing the virus.   The Vicks Company was well-known for marketing products that worked on the influenza.  An advertisement from October 26 warned that their stock was running low.  Many claimed it to be a good advertising scheme.  Their sales nearly tripled in 1918.  In 1918, some of the same state orders against crowd gatherings and indoor meetings were much the same as they are today.  

By the middle of October, the influenza was so bad that department stores, candy stores, soda fountains, cigars stores, shoe shine parlors and every place of business was supposed to be closed.  Drugstores were open for buying drugs only.  Food stores could only sell foodstuffs and bakeries and meat markets were open for food sales.  Barbershops were open limited hours and the barber had to wear a mask.  Milk delivery was allowed, but residents were expected to boil the empty bottles before returning them.  Banks and office buildings were allowed to remain open and painters, plumbers and electricians were allowed to continue with their work.  All businesses that were open were supposed to take precautions and refrain from working if a cough or cold occurred.  Boy Scouts distributed placards for doctors to put on houses where the flu was active and "The Moose Home" was set up to be used as an emergency hospital if needed.  The Lancaster Day Nursery was made into a children's hospital for sick children.  These strict restrictions were effective on October 14, but lifted two days later. Sound familiar?  But, schools, churches, amusements and saloons were to remain closed.  This lockdown continued until November.  But, as happened throughout the United States this year, the Lancaster City Board of Health decided to ignore the order and reopened everything. Lancaster officials thought they knew better.  So, those places that opened early were given State citations, railroads were prohibited from running trains out of the city and barriers were set up along the main routes out of town.  Lancaster began to take legal action, but by that time, November had arrived and places could be opened.  By that time there were 7,550 cases of influenza in the city of Lancaster with 301 deaths.  Have we learned anything from 1918?  I'm not sure!!  Seems we are making some of the same stupid mistakes as were made in 1918.  Yes, they eventually overcame the flu, but not before more were killed.  Why not learn from the mistakes and do what we are asked to do.  But, some people just don't want to be told what to do.  It's a shame it is that way, but people will never change.  Remember that in 2120, if you are still alive!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.