The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918

By: Oscar Jewell Harvey

Narrated by: Drew Baker

Oscar J. Harvey (1850-1922) was a renowned historian of Wilkes-Barre and Pennsylvania's Wyoming Valley, and held the positions of professor of mathematics and English at Wyoming Seminary. This is his account of the ravages of the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and the efforts made to combat and overcome it. Harvey gives a first-hand account of how the county struggled to deal with the plague while America was still engaged in World War One. Luzerne County responded immediately by adopting and enforcing drastic regulations to minimize contagion, setting up emergency hospital facilities and caring for the sick. Other challenges included finding the right staff, raising the remuneration of nurses, helping people to pay rent and taking care of orphans.

Public Domain (P)2020 Museum Audiobooks