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Hello All, This is a post from Past President Gerald Guilbeaux.
During the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1917-18 John Philip Sousa was serving as the leader of the Band Battalion of the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. Here is an excerpt for his book "Marching Along" edited by Paul Bierley about that time.
During the terrible epidemic of Spanish influenza I received orders from the Treasury Department to visit number of cities in the interest of the Liberty Loan. Just as we were on the point of departure, the medical director at the station quarantined the entire force. The Treasury representative, of course, became much excited but he was in the position of Canute, for medical directors are as relentless as the waves of the sea. No officer ever presumes to question the mandate of an official medical advisor. So it was that we remained in station until the quarantine was raised. An appalling number of men had been lost during the epidemic. The medical advisor sent for the battalion surgeon, Dr. A. H. Frankel, and said, “Doctor, the band battalion leaves the station today for an extended period. If you bring half these boys back alive it will be a miracle.”
Before we entrained Dr. Frankel had converted one car into a sick bay and placed the hospital corps in charge. He brought plenty of Dobell’s Solution* and other medical stores to discourage the “flu” and we started off. Throughout the entire tour Dr. Frankel labored for the health of my men. In my subsequent report to the commandant, I said, “We left home with three hundred and fifty officers and men. We returned with three hundred and fifty officers and men. Dr. Frankel’s fidelity was wonderful; I do not believe the man slept four hours a night. Twice a day the entire command was required to spray with detergents. Every possible means was used to ward off the ‘flu.’ ” Faithful Frankel was a junior lieutenant but the commandant was so delighted with his diligence that he immediately promoted him to senior.
*Dobell’s Solution - a solution of sodium borate, sodium bicarbonate, phenol, and glycerol, used as an astringent or antiseptic wash for the throat and nose. |
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Our rehearsal space has just announced that we cannot be inside or outside with any performance ensembles this fall. We were hoping for chamber ensembles outside until October, and perhaps inside for 40-60 mins. once a week for the colder months. So now we will have to be more creative and see whe |
