15,697
edits
Changes
no edit summary
The idea of calling them veils, rather than masks, was intended to get people to feel they were more of a fashion item, perhaps similar to how some masks today are relatively decorative (Figure 1). Perhaps also the newspaper took liberty with interpreting them as a new fashionable trend. Some ways suggested by newspapers, however, made masks useless, despite any positive intentions these newspapers had (Figure 2). Finally, embarrassing people was also tried by the authorities. In some places, local newspaper printed the names of people who were caught not wearing masks. <ref>For more direct and indirect methods used to get people to wear masks, see: Bristow, Nancy K. <i>American Pandemic the Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic</i>. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.</ref>
====What were the Complaints and Concernsabout Masks?====The standard complaints people did give in 1918 on why they did not wear masks did vary, besides the main reason being that some saw them as impinging on their personal freedom. One of the most common complaints was they were hot and stuffy. Some businesses worried masks would limit sales, as people would not want to wear them so they would not go outside and shop. Others pointed out that mask masks were ineffective. Many of these complaints had meritsome, although they could have been remedied or at least minimized, such as wearing masks properly to make them more comfortable and effective as well as providing information as to why they were being used for public health. For instance, people were caught making holes in their masks so they could smoke, negating the utility of a mask. Protests did spring up, including those organized by anti-mask groups such as the Anti-Mask League, but generally , people complied with either the laws requiring masks to be worn or followed due to public pressure and sense of duty.<ref>For more on complaints and concerns about masks in 1918/1919, see: Phillips. H, and David Killingray, eds. <i>The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19: New Perspectives</i>. Routledge Studies in the Social History of Medicine 12. London ; New York: Routledge, 2003.</ref>
====Summary====
