Letters From Influenza In 1918

During the year of 1918 the movement of troops during WWI spread the Influenza disease. Influenza arrived in the United States at a perfect timing when there many new forms of transportation, media, consumption and warfare had expanded into public places where diseases could spread more easily. The new forms of transportation really impacted the U.S. and why so many people easily contracted the disease. I will analyze two letters written to friends by a doctor and nurse to show some of the conditions and duties they had to endure during the pandemic of 1918. This letter was written by doctor, N.R. Grist. He had been stationed at a military base in Massachusetts called Camp Devens just as influenza started to spread. Dr. Grist writes to his
Lutiant says that people were dying by the dozen from influenza. She along with other nurses were there for ten days dealing with extremely bad cases but even then they didn’t get infected with the disease. They wanted to stay longer, but their work was very hard on them. She was a day nurse that worked six days in Officer’s barracks and another four days in the Private’s barracks. Lutiant had to work from seven in the morning to seven at night. Their duties were to “give medicines to the patients, take temperatures, fix ice packs, feed them at eating time, and rub their back or chest with camphorated sweet oil”. Lutiant says she enjoyed the work but what was difficult was not being used to it. When one of her patients died she says it “unnerved me -- I had to go to the nurses’ quarters and cry it out.” but then when three other of her patients died it wasn’t so bad. The one thing that probably impacted her the most was when two doctors who were in reality German spies “were caught giving these Influenza germs to the soldiers.” The two spies were later shot as consequence to their actions. It impacted her to see such a gruesome thing but realizing that it happened every day in