In this column, the Cement News reports on the development of the Spanish flu in October and November 1918.

November showed no changes in conditions for our town. Reports of the epidemic were continuous, but some doctors only reported very serious cases.

Some seemed to credit pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses such as heavy colds rather than the flu. This made it hard to reach a trustworthy report on this disease. There were reports of entire families with mild cases, but we do know the number of cases did not decrease.

Under this board of health, physicians and other authorities came into considerable blame for allowing this or refusing that, such as keeping the schools open and the hotels closed.

There were reports of children coming to school, where the influenza attacked one or more members of the family. If the doctor did not rule it a case of the influenza, he did not need to say the child must stay home from school.

When a case was reported, the health department would order the inhabitants quarantined and designated that order with a placard on the front door. To remove the placard out of embarrassment or any other reason was a criminal offense. It could only be removed by the board of health or doctor.

By Oct. 25, 37 deaths had occurred in Northampton - 22 deaths were from pneumonia and all but four of them were foreigners who had emigrated from Eastern Europe to work in the cement mills between 1895 and 1910.

Four days later, the death toll had risen to 51, and 88 families were under quarantine. Two weeks later, the quarantine was adjusted by the board of health, and the hotels, breweries and wholesale liquor dealers were allowed to open for business.

The Cement News reported all this made it “Monkey-do” in Northampton.

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Next time, we look at the Thanksgiving and Christmas of 1918.