An event that affected many in 1918 and 1919 was the Spanish Flu epidemic. It was fortuitous that the Carpenter Hospital was available to serve those in need.
In September 1918, Charles Gallup of Yoerg’s Garage drove the new hospital ambulance from Patterson, New Jersey, to Holyoke. The 300-mile distance took 9 hours to complete.
The number of influenza cases swelled to 300 in late September. The city prohibited gatherings in schools, theaters, dance halls, and other venues. Within 10 days in early October, the numbers impacted increased to 600 with 13 deaths.
In mid-October, the number of new cases began to decline in Holyoke. 30 patients were isolated at City Hospital, with 4 additional patients isolated at Providence Hospital. This helped relieve the overburdened conditions at the Carpenter Hospital.
At the end of October 1918, a large tent was erected at the Carpenter Hospital, capable of treating 12 patients. The Alms House was okayed for an additional 30 patients.
At year’s end, the Board of Public Works furnished an itemization of the final cost of the Carpenter Hospital. The total cost of construction, including interior furnishings and medical equipment, approached $105,000.
The year-end census revealed 353 patients were seen in the hospital’s first three months of operation. 269 patients were treated for influenza, another 63 for influenza and pneumonia. 45 patients died, and 12 remained in the hospital.
The hospital was allotted $7,250 for its 1918 operating budget; its year-end balance was $1.12.
The 1920s proved to be the only full decade that the hospital served the ill and infirm. Further history of this facility is covered in the following chapters.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
No comments:
Post a Comment