INFLUENZA IN THE STATE HOSPITALS

The influenza epidemic which appeared at our eastern seaports in August and September, 1918, and spread rapidly throughout the whole country during the following months, was the most fatal scourge that ever entered the State hospitals. During the course of the epidemic 4,010 patients and 1,338 employees became ill with the disease, 880 patients and 160 employees also contracted pneumonia, and 557 patients and 49 employees died either from influenza alone or from influenza associated with pneumonia.

As the epidemic occurred at a time when the medical and nursing force of the hospitals had been greatly reduced owing to the war, it became extremely difficult for the hospitals to give adequate attention to the sick patients. As the disease spread among the officers and employees the difficulty became greatly augmented and it was only through the valiant, self-sacrificing service of the physicians, nurses, attendants and other employees who remained well, that the regular routine work of the hospital was maintained. Several nurses and attendants gave their lives in helping to save others.

The only medical officer of the hospitals who died from the disease was Dr. George W. Gorrill, superintendent of the Buffalo State Hospital.

During the outbreak of the epidemic the hospitals established a quarantine against visitors and used every measure known to modern sanitary science to prevent the spread of the disease.

On the advice of the State Health Department prophylactic vaccine was administered to 7,517 patients and 605 officers and employees. The effects of this treatment could not be positively determined. Of the 8,122 cases vaccinated, 99 contracted influenza within ten days after vaccination and 67 at a later period. As it is believed that a ten-day period after vaccination is necessary to establish immunity, it seems probable that the vaccination was of value in checking the spread of the disease. Death occurred in 31 patients and 6 employees who had received vaccine. Unfortunately the vaccine in considerable quantity was not available until the disease had become firmly established in the various hospitals. The pneumonia that followed the attack of influenza in 22 per cent of the cases among the patients and in 12 per cent

of the cases among the employees was of a very virulent type. The majority of the cases succumbed to the disease within a few days and in some cases within a few hours.

The following tables show the extent of influenza and associated pneumonia in the several hospitals and the deaths resulting therefrom.

Influenza among patients in the civil State hospitals, year ending June 30,

Influenza among employees in the civil State hospitals, year ending June

REJECTION OF SUPPLIES

All supplies furnished to the hospitals under contract are carefully examined by the stewards and storekeepers and those found defective, adulterated or below the standard set in the specifications are rejected. Altogether approximately $70,000 worth of merchandise shipped to the hospitals was refused by the stewards during the year.

The quantities of principal supplies rejected compared with the rejections of three previous years are shown in the following tabulation:

Comparison of principal supplies rejected at the State hospitals in 1919, 1918, 1917 and 1916

The quantities of principal supplies rejected by the several

hospitals are shown in the accompanying table.

AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS

The special efforts made by the State hospitals to increase production on the hospital farms, which were begun during the year 1917, were continued during the season of 1918. Although the hospital farms were severely handicapped by the lack of farm labor and the high prices of feed and fertilizers, the value of the farm products reached the highest point ever attained in the history of the hospitals. The total yield of the farms at wholesale prices was valued at $656,930.99, as compared with $553,667.14 the previous year. The acreage under cultivation during the year was 6,498. The estimated value of the farm land, farm buildings, machinery and livestock owned by the hospitals at the beginning of the year was $1,418,409 and the total net profit for the year was $214,113. The average net profit per acre was $32.95 and the average per cent profit was 15.1. The products of the several farms were valued, at wholesale prices, as follows:

The value of the principal items of production was: garden products, $162,321; potatoes, $57,411; fruit, $14,466; field crops, $135,403; milk, $193,331; eggs, $9,955.