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Anti-Mask League of San Francisco

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Barbers wearing masks during the epidemic.

The Anti-Mask League of San Francisco was an organization formed to protest the requirement for people in San Francisco, California, to wear masks during the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Background

Cases of the Spanish flu began to appear in San Francisco during the fall of 1918. The first documented case was in late September; by mid-October, the city had more than 2,000 cases. The city's Board of Health enacted various measures to try to curb the disease, such as banning gatherings, closing schools and theaters, and warning citizens to avoid crowds. Professions that served customers (barbers, hotel and rooming house employees, bank tellers, druggists, store clerks, and any other person serving the public) were required to wear masks. Then on October 25, the city passed an ordinance that "every resident and visitor of San Francisco would be required to wear a mask while in public or when in a group of two or more people, except at mealtime."[1]

Initial compliance with the mask ordinance was high with an estimated 4 out of 5 people wearing masks in public. The Red Cross sold masks at the terminal for people arriving by ferry. People who failed to wear a mask or wore it improperly were charged with "disturbing the peace" and then warned, fined, or jailed. The city health officer and the mayor both paid fines for not wearing masks at a boxing match.[1]

The mask ordinance was annulled effective November 21; however, cases of the flu began to increase again. A new ordinance mandating masks took effect January 17, 1919.[1]

League formation

Although there were some complaints from citizens during the initial period of mask-wearing, the new ordinance in 1919 galvanized more serious opposition and the Anti-Mask League was formed.[1] Members of the league included physicians, citizens,[2] civil libertarians,[3] and at least one member of the Board of Supervisors.[1] An estimated 4,000–5,000 citizens attended the meeting on January 25.[4][5] Some members of the league wanted to collect signatures on a petition to end the mask requirement, while others wanted to initiate recall procedures for the city health officer. The debate was heated.[2] Some objections to the ordinance were based on questions of scientific data while others considered the requirement to infringe on civil liberties.[6]

In addition to complaints from the Anti-Mask League, some health officers from other cities also contended that masks were not necessary.[2] The San Francisco city health officer criticized the secretary of the state's Board of Health for questioning the efficacy of masks, saying "The attitude of the state board is encouraging the Anti-Mask League."[7]

On January 27, the league presented a petition, signed by Mrs. E. C. Harrington as chairman, to the city's Board of Supervisors, requesting repeal of the mask ordinance.[8] Newspapers across the world took note of the protesting organization.[9][10][11][12] San Francisco lifted the mask requirement effective February 1, 1919, on the recommendation of the Board of Health.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "San Francisco, California and the 1918-1919 Influenza Epidemic". University of Michigan Center for the History of Medicine: Influenza Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  2. ^ a b c d Crosby, Alfred W. (2003-07-21). America's Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918. Cambridge University Press. pp. 112–113. ISBN 978-0-521-54175-6.
  3. ^ Torrey, E. Fuller; Yolken, Robert H. (2005-02-03). Beasts of the Earth: Animals, Humans, and Disease. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-3789-4.
  4. ^ "Big Mass Meeting Condemns Masks". Logansport Daily Tribune. February 14, 1919. p. 8.
  5. ^ Canales, Katie. "Photos show how San Francisco emerged from a lockdown too soon during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, leading to an even deadlier second wave that rampaged through the city". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  6. ^ Jr, Samuel K. Cohn (2018). Epidemics: Hate and Compassion from the Plague of Athens to AIDS. Oxford University Press. p. 440. ISBN 978-0-19-881966-0.
  7. ^ Municipal Journal. Municipal Journal and Engineer, Incorporated. 1919. p. 111.
  8. ^ Supervisors, San Francisco (Calif ) Board of (1919). Journal of Proceedings, Board of Supervisors, City and County of San Francisco. Recorder Printing and Publishing Company. p. 50.
  9. ^ "Anti-Mask League in San Franciso". Perth Truth. April 27, 1919. p. 11.
  10. ^ "18 Jan 1919, 1 - The Victoria Daily Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  11. ^ "19 Jan 1919, Page 8 - Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  12. ^ "You Don't Say So". The Macleay Chronicle, New South Wales. April 30, 1919. p. 4.
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