Ann S. Epstein writes novels, short stories, memoir, essays, and poems. Please use the links or site menu to go to the HOME PAGE; learn about her NOVELS, SHORT STORIES, MEMOIR, ESSAYS, and POEMS; find interesting facts in BEHIND THE STORY; read REFLECTIONS on writing; check NEWS for updates on publications and related events; see REVIEWS; learn about her END-OF-LIFE DOULA credentials and services; and CONTACT US to send webmail.
Interesting history tidbits I’ve learned while researching my novels and short stories
During the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, doctors were baffled about what to advise their patients. In Australia, one physician recommended “a milk diet” while another said to “take a weak vinegar sponge bath twice a day and place ice in the mouth.” Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
In Harrisburg, PA restaurants were allowed to stay open during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, but were not permitted to offer single servings of ice cream or pie because they encouraged people to congregate. Customers could order dessert only if they also ate a full meal, at a table, and dined alone. Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
During the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, people were advised to wash the inside of their noses twice a day and “force yourself to sneeze, night and morning, then breathe deeply.” Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
Fear resulting from a pandemic can disrupt social conventions. During the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, people were shot for not wearing masks and the bereaved stole coffins to bury their dead. Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
During the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, cities and states hit hard mandated that residents wear six-ply gauze masks. One medical expert said they were too thin and porous to restrain tiny microbes. “It was like trying to keep out dust with chicken wire.” Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
Among the many quack treatments recommended during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak was wearing camphor balls in a sack around the neck so the fumes would keep away germs. If nothing else, the smell helped the wearer maintain social distance. Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
During the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak, a popular children’s jump rope rhyme went: “I had a little bird. Its name was Enza. I opened up the window. And in flew Enza.” Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
Methods to prevent and treat Spanish flu a century ago were no crazier than those proposed today to take advantage of frightened and gullible people. Horlick’s Malted Milk, though lacking a smidgen of anything medicinal, claimed to be a “reliable diet during and after influenza.” Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
Spanish flu ravaged the world in 1918. Then, as now, businesses took advantage of people’s fear to tout their products. Boyer’s Massage Parlor in San Jose, California, ran an ad that claimed their treatments “guarantee to cure Spanish influenza.” More likely, close contact between staff and clients helped to spread it. Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
Vaseline Eucalyptol Petroleum Jelly claimed, in accordance with “the best medical authorities,” to guard against the Spanish flu. “Snuff a little Vaseline Eucalyptol up the nostrils night and morning. It keeps the delicate membranes clean and healthy and is a protection against the influenza germ.” Its efficacy against the flu was questionable, but it sure cleared the sinuses. Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore (1917-1925), a tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
