It appears that the 1918 flu pandemic, that killed between 20 and 100 million people worldwide had relatively little impact in the Saranac Lake region, despite large numbers of local people who fought in World War I. It is possible that the rigorous sanitary standards promulgated by the TB society to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, helped to keep influenza from exploding in this region, as it did in so many areas after the war.
Notably, Saranac Lake held its one and only Summer Carnival in August, 1918.
Plattsburgh Sentinel, October 18, 1918, under a column on Peasleeville is this item:
Messrs. Clifford, Ned and Ralph Newell are ill of influenza at Saranac Lake and their mother, Mrs. George Newell, is there taking care of them.
Malone Farmer, October 23, 1918
The closing order against influenza at Saranac Lake has been extended till October 28th. The order affects schools, churches, Sunday schools, theatres, etc.
Malone Farmer, November 6, 1918
DEATHS
ALEXANDER—In Brighton, N. Y., Oct. 27th. of influenza, Miss Ruth Alexander, aged 32 years.
Lake Placid News, January 10, 1919
Flu Invades Ray Brook
Influenza epidemic at Ray Brook sanatorium has caused the place to be put under strict quarantine. It was said Sunday there were sixty cases there and three deaths resulted during the week-end. Raymond B. Altier, aged 22, a fireman from Utica, died Saturday night. Edwin D. Howe, 33. died Saturday. Allie Kaplin, aged 15, died Sunday.
AuSable Record, January 10, 1919
Severe Epidemic of Influenza at Ray Brook
[Same as immediately above, with the additions in italics.] Raymond B. Altier, aged 22, a fireman from Utica, died Saturday night. The body was sent to Utica for burial. Edwin D. Howe, 33, died Saturday. His body was shipped to Jordan. Allie Kaplin, aged 15, died Sunday and the body was sent to Hudson.
. . . In Bloomingdale the doctors have their hands full on account of the epidemic of grip that prevails. Mrs. Henry Churchill who was taken ill with pneumonia on Thursday died last Saturday. Fitch Brown is very low with Bright's disease and his death is looked for daily. It was said he had a successful treatment in the hospital but he returned home only to be taken ill at once. Mrs. Orrin Otis is on the sick list.
University of Michigan Medical School "Influenza Digital Archive: Trudeau Sanitorium"
This is an excerpt from a longer piece, part of a project calledThe American Influenza Epidemic of 1918–1919: A Digital Encyclopedia. They included Trudeau Sanatorium in a section on "Influenza Escape Communities," somewhat overstating Saranac Lake's isolation and the sanatorium's isolation from the village.
This small, remote community of tuberculosis patients escaped influenza in the fall of 1918. With the threat of influenza looming, the physicians vaccinated most of the patients. The efficacy of vaccination, with what turned out to be the wrong microbial agent (Pfeiffer’s bacillus), was considered doubtful even by the physicians in charge at the time. Nevertheless, as of October 29, 1918, there were no cases of influenza at the sanatorium. One explanation for this striking statistic may have been the de facto protective sequestration that already existed at the sanatorium because of the pre-existing and consistent isolation of the tuberculosis patients and staff from the community at large. Tuberculosis sanatoria of this era were deliberately removed from society, and traffic into and out of them was strictly regulated. Such isolation likely assisted in the defense against influenza.
In addition, tuberculosis sanatoria benefited because they already paid scrupulous attention to contemporary sanitary measures and methods, procedures that likely placed the patients of Trudeau Tuberculosis Sanatorium at an advantage. It is reasonable to surmise that the caretakers of the sanatorium took every precaution in attempting to prevent the introduction and spread of influenza—as well as any other contagious disease—among the patients.
The town of Saranac Lake itself experienced a few cases of influenza in the late fall and early winter of 1918, although the actual number of cases is not known. By December 13, 1918, there were seven cases in town, as documented by a public health survey taken by a New York City physician. Even though it seems Saranac Lake was only lightly affected by influenza in the fall, it is hard to tell with specificity, as records of the town are scarce and as the only influenza statistics available for the town come from a tattered news clipping.
During what would be considered the third wave of the influenza pandemic (January to April 1919), 27 cases were recorded at the Trudeau Tuberculosis Sanatorium. They included a number of nurses as well as one orderly (who subsequently died). According to Dr. Walter James, President of the Sanatorium, the arrival of influenza was not unexpected. In a letter to Vice-President Dr. Edward Baldwin, Dr. James wrote, “I am sorry that the influenza has descended upon you, but, after all, it is only what you had a right to expect, and I am glad that you are not getting it very severely.” If additional NPI were taken at the sanatorium in February, we have been unable to find documentary evidence of them.
Although the 1918 pandemic is generally considered to have ended in December 1920, the following cases are included here based on the idea that the pandemic may have started and ended somewhat later here because of the area's remoteness.
Plattsburgh Sentinel, February 8, 1921
John Peyton Clark, prominent in public life and in club affairs of Saranac Lake, died there Saturday night. He had been confined to his home since Christmas following an attack of influenza. He was one of the founders of the Saranac Lake Club.
Tupper Lake Herald, April 15, 1921
OBITUARY
FRED E. WOODS
Fred E. Woods died suddenly at his home at Coreys of influenza on Saturday, April 2nd, aged 53 years. Mr. Woods was born in the town of Dickinson in 1868 and prior to his locating at Tupper Lake successfully conducted farms in the towns of Fort Covington and Bangor, but for the past fifteen years had been in the hotel business at Coreys, near here. Mr. Woods was a man of most exemplary character and had many friends and acquaintances in Franklin county who will regret to learn of his death. He was an ideal husband and father and popular with all, and in his loss the widow and family have the deep sympathy of hosts of friends in their bereavement.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Winnie Woods, and four children, as follows: Mrs. Ward Beekman of Long Island, Mrs. J. Kelly and Mrs. H. Leary of Philadelphia, Pa., Ernest Woods of Coreys, and one sister. Mrs. Mack MacLeod of Potsdam, and one brother, Dell Woods of Moira The funeral was held at the family residence on Tuesday…
From Anne Mackinnon, "Battle on the Home Front, 1920," Adirondack Life, January/February 1997.
Mackinnon describes how Keene Valley rallied against the Spanish Influenza, when more than 300 people were stricken there.
. . . unlike many neighboring towns, Keene Valley had had relatively few deaths during the winter of 1918-19, an ironic piece of good fortune that probably contributed to the low level of immunity among its residents. Whatever the reason, during the month of February [1920], more than three quarters of the village's nearly four hundred people were incapacitated with flu and pneumonia, and at least fourteen people died.
Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. CLXXXIII, No. 21, page 597
In this article, fifteen doctors replied to the question of cases of influenza in their practices or institutions. Three of the respondents were from Saranac Lake; they are excerpted here:
Dr. E. R. Baldwin of Saranac Lake states that his experience at Saranac Lake leads him to believe that influenza did not do as much harm as was expected, especially in the way of aggravating existing tuberculous disease; undoubtedly it led to the discovery of many hitherto latent cases. Approximately 25% of the patients arriving at Saranac since September, '18, gave a history of influenza and attributed in their own minds at least, the outbreak of their tuberculosis to this disease.
Dr. Hugh M. Kinghorn of Saranac Lake, N.Y., had a very small proportion of influenza among his patients,--less than 10%. Out of ten cases, two died and eight recovered, of whom only one was made worse by influenza.
Dr. R. C. Paterson of Saranac Lake, N.Y., considers influenza a serious complication for anyone who has or has had tuberculosis. There was no influx of tuberculosis cases immediately after the epidemic, but since the spring of 1919 many patients have come to Saranac for the first time or for a relapse who definitely dated their trouble from the influenza.
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