By Rakashi Chand
On this date a century ago, two sailors stationed in Boston went to the sickbay with flu-like symptoms; the next day eight more, the following day 58 more, and this was just the beginning. 我们正在为今年秋天的流感季节做计划, 我们应该记住，今年是现代历史上最致命的流感流行一百周年. The 1918-1919 influenza, or “Spanish flu,在全球范围内造成5000万人死亡，仅波士顿就有5000人死亡, 人数仅次于费城和匹兹堡. 令人震惊的发病率模式导致年轻人死亡, 20-40岁的健康人以惊人的速度死亡, 病情发展迅速可能导致多器官衰竭24小时内死亡. 流感病毒株具有高度传染性，不幸地以指数速度传播. 尽管疫情的起源仍有争议, 西班牙媒体是第一个公开报道疫情的，因为他们在第一次世界大战中保持中立. In part because of the war, the U.S. 而非西班牙的欧洲媒体在报道疫情的准确信息方面行动迟缓, 以及军队和平民的高伤亡率. 一些议员还压制了相关报道，以减少恐慌.
At Camp Devens, an army training base for 45,000 soldiers just outside of Boston, 第一个感染流感的士兵被误诊为脑膜炎，流感开始在整个营地迅速蔓延. 在危机最严重的时候，据报道一天就有1543名士兵生病. A poignant letter by Physician N. Roy Grist stationed at Camp Devens describes the scene in detail and can be read online: www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/influenza-letter/.
这种流行病很快蔓延到波士顿的平民.
卫生保健处有一份由城市发出的og体育平台照顾和预防流感的公告. This broadside is an example of the advice given to the people of Boston 在流感爆发期间，威廉C. 伍德沃德，1918 -1922年波士顿卫生专员.
这场流行病夺走了所有波士顿人的生命. 9月中旬，《og体育官网》(Boston Globe)报道称，该市计划让学校继续开放:
Neither Dr. William H. 迪瓦恩，学校的医学主任，也不是博士. W. C. 市卫生专员伍德沃德赞成关闭波士顿的学校. 他们说，通过继续学习，学生不太可能受到影响, especially since teachers, 学校医生和护士正在尽其所能阻止这种流行病.
但情况很快变得更糟，人们开始恐慌. 没有人知道为什么这种疾病传播得如此之快，也没有人知道如何预防它. 波士顿的官员开始禁止公众集会，因为他们迫切希望控制疾病的传播. Finally, the schools were closed, as well as theatres, bars, 甚至教堂也被要求不举行礼拜. 城市医院挤满了病人, 迫切需要医生和护士，特别是因为有这么多的人在监督帮助战争的努力, and, sadly, 即使是棺材也不能以他们需要的速度供应.
伊迪丝·科芬(科尔比)·马奥尼的日记，来自 Colby-Mahoney Family Papers，让我们一窥流感爆发期间马萨诸塞州的生活. 伊迪丝的日记里写满了在俱乐部玩高尔夫球的愉快经历, picnics, shopping, 以及朋友们在八月最后几天的来访, and into September of 1918. 但她的每日记录突然提到流感，随之而来的是死亡.
September 22 1918
“Fair & cold. 爸爸和弗兰克刚从杰斐逊高地回来吃晚饭. Rob played golf with Dr. Ferguson and Mr. Warren. Eugene F. went to the hospital Fri. with Spanish influenza. 1500 cases in Salem. Bradstreet Parker died of it yesterday. 21 yrs old.”
September 24 1918
“Mr. Freeman here. 尤金因西班牙流感患上肺炎. Serious epidemic everywhere. Caned carrots. Went to 93 with children P.M. Myra and Ella go to Gray’s Inn tomorrow.”
September 26 1918
“从今天凌晨3点开始，暴雨持续了24小时.M.. 尤金传来坏消息后最令人沮丧的一天. He died at 6:40am. 这个城市有几千个病例，护士和医生严重短缺. 剧院、教堂、各种集会都停止了. 就连第四自由贷款司机游行也推迟了.”
September 27 1918
“Fair part of day but cold. 埃尔伍德·诺伊斯准备好锅炉了吗. Out with kiddies in P.M. Called at Ma’s. Belle there with a hoarse cold. 过去的三天里，爸爸一直在办公室. 哈利去纳森学校看望得了流感的艾格尼丝. Rob home from N. Y. at midnight. 不是明天来的，因为尤金的葬礼.”
September 28, 1918
“Beautiful, mild day. Rob in bed all day with high fever, bound up head and aching eye balls, 所以不能在格雷斯教堂为尤金送葬. 及时采取热柠檬水、蓖麻油、阿司匹林等措施.下午让他出汗，晚上感觉好多了. Phoned but did not call Dr. Sargent”
September 29, 1918
“Beautiful, mild day. Rob very much better. Husky throat the only symptom left. Up at noon. Dr. Sargent said to keep him in tomorrow. 我是在1993年带着孩子们去P区的路上遇到他的.M.. 詹姆斯·蒂尔尼于周五死于肺炎(37岁). 博士说，没有迹象表明疫情正在减弱.”
MHS收藏了牛顿市年轻的芭芭拉·希拉德·史密斯的另一本日记, MA, 描述她在流感流行期间的经历.
September 21, 1918
“Down at Station at 5:45. In town. Pegs for a dance.”
September 22, 1918
“Sunday School. Came down with Influenza.”
September 23, 1918
“In bed. Dr. G- came. Mother came home.”
September 24, 1918
“In bed. Felt rotten. School closed till Monday.”
September 25, 1918
“Got up and went out. Felt rotten.”
September 26, 1918
“Hung around. Sick.”
September 27, 1918
“Went over to Pegs”
September 29, 1918
“Church. No Sunday school. Over to Pegs in afternoon.”
October 2, 1918
“Over to Pegs. School still closed.”
Luckily, Barbara survived the influenza epidemic, 似乎对她的家庭影响更大的是学校关闭.
了解更多og体育平台1918年流感大流行的信息, 想了解更多og体育平台1918年的日记和信件，请访问马萨诸塞州历史学会图书馆. 我们欢迎您的问题和研究查询 library@bobbyingano.com.
Bibliography:
http://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/flu-epidemic-begins-in-boston.html
http://academic.oup.com/cid/article/47/5/668/296225
http://www.influenzaarchive.org/cities/city-boston.html#
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/journal-plague-year-180965222/
http://www.wgbh.org/news/post/1918-influenza-outbreak-when-boston-was-patient-zero
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/influenza-letter/