The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-07
FTEor the DispatelIl
EPIDEMIC INFLUENZA
AN Tut Srestar,g Articse.- The EpssocSy
an other Days end other Countries.

AN rns Sressar,sr Artscse.-- THE Eptsocty
su other nays end other Countries.
The epizootic malady now prevailing so
extensively among horses. and spreading
with such rapidly far and wide through the
land, naturally ca'h, to the mind Of the medl-
cal observer the similar epidcmicS affecting
the human family which occur from time 10
time, presenting the same character OF fapd
diffusion and almost universal prevalence
Endemic influenza, first particularly hotlced
by medical writer's in the sixteenth century,
has, since that period, appeared many Tunes
in Europe and in other quarters OF inc S!oN,
our own country coming ID Tor IT. i''' 9n1ie
of these visitations. "Oi all eihtteihic ai,
eases IL is the most universal, anu Inc rapid
i.y of its march and extent OF It's range
over land and sea, sometimes in both hcmi-
spheres and in different climates, in opposite
seasons and in all varieties of weather, among
r.oplc of all classes, naturally led to the sup
position that some extraordinary influence
could alone give rise to such widespread
ing malady." Hence the name Influenza.
first given TO II by the Italians. The French
call 1t la grippe. $780,,
The trst regular description of the disease,
given in the year 1910, will answer IN thc
main points for oil subsequent visltat'ons.
Severe pain over the eyes. Sneezng, corSZa
frunninc at the nose). hcavincsS, difficulty OF
breathing. honrscnes-, loss Of strength and
annette, fever, and haraSSiiiy cough. Such
were the symptoms chiefly noted. These
nav seem to he merely the symptoms OF
common cold, but in the true influenza The
disturbance Of the general system Is out OIL
all proportion to the local or catarrhal symp-
toms, and, in particular, the loss CT strength
81, -t,~,tt hnfn n <an
s;ui,,en and extreme. We are told that the
epidemic of 1910 spread from Malta to Sicily,
spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Great
Britain: that, in fine, cit ragged all over
Europe, not missing family, and scarce a
person, and that none died Of it except some
children
In 1857 similar epidemic, after prevail
ing In Asia, came to Constantinope, and
having spread all over Europe, afterwards
attacked America, its course being westerly.
4 writer Of the time asserts that 1t attacked
all parts OF Spain al once, so that The greatest
part of the population OF that kingdom were
seized with it almost on the same day
Statements of parallel nature are made in
relation to many later visitations. In lIS2
the disease spread from the eastern coast OF
China to India, Siberia, Tartary, and over
the whole of Europe. 1t had prevailed in
America in 1871. The following remarka-
BILE fact is recorded IN relation to the first
appearance of this epidemic in st. Peters.
burgh: "On a cold night the thermometer
rose 80 degrees OF Fahrenheit: the ncr!
morning forty thousand people rcrc tnEcn Ill
1rth The Influenza"
Noah Webster, In hi, History Of Eride.
mics, enumerates forty-four cpidemics Of i'll
fluenza which had been recorded up to the
81, La, ,,n,,ft, tr.St t,r
eight more have been observed since that
time. Some of these have been limited to
the American continent, while MANY have
spread over both hemispheres, commencing
sometimes on the eastern, sometimes on the
western. The Influenza Of 1915 is fresh
within the writer's recollection, and that OF
perhaps every person in Virginia past forty
years of age. This was tue famous Tyler
yripne so called from its sudden outbreak
in New York and New England while Mr.
Tyler was on a presidential tour through
that section of the Union. IL appeared, ~
well us recoIlcctcd, in the latter Part OF June
or eariy in July. A medical journal Of Tie
latter month says:
"This epidemic is at the present moment
prevailing over the whole OF The Eastern ana
Middle States Of the Luion. \ very large
portion Of the population have been affected
correspondent writes to Us that four-tltths
OF the inhabitants have had it; and i'll the
city of New York ii has prevailed to such
al extent, we learn, rs to seriously delay OF
suspend most business operations. Great
numbers have suffered from the disease IN
Philadelphia, where 1t seems not yet to have
reached its height"
The epidemic advanced towards the south
like q spreading wave, aud reached tue
locality of the writer's practice Qn Lower
Virginia) in August. 1t was usually very
manageable, subsiding in five or six days
under simple treatment; and, though OFTEN
accompanied with much suffering, few dlcd
of it, except aged persons, OF those IN whom
some serious complication occurred. The
same hns been true of most of the recorded
epidemics, though there have been occasional
exceptions.
The invaSions of this singular malady are
evidently due to some widc-Spreading at
lnospheric Influenza something pcrradng
the air we breathe, though that something,
it is quite certain. bus 10 necessary connec-
ton with the ,rcdthcr; for while influenza
has most frequently, perhaps, prevailed Ill
spring or autumn, when the weather was
chilly and damp, or variable, it has some
times made inculsions Just as sweeping in
midsummer, when the weather was warm
and dry, or in no way remarkable. Search
ers after causes have therefore imagined the
existence of myriadS of animalcuh swurmiug
in the air; others OF "organic germs" OF
vegetable nature; others. again, have spoken
Of "ozonc." But these speculations make
lis none the wiser about what is in truth as
much Il mystery as the cause of that other
great travelling epidemic, cholera.
A point Of special interest just ut this time
is that these epidcmics Of influenza have, in
not q few instances, been accompanied or
preceded by a similar D,aladyi IN horses, and
sometimes IN other animals. Thus, in 1888
we ure told that "about Edinburgh coughs
and running from the nose IN horses were
universal in October aud November, just
before the disease attacked men," and that
"abont Plymouth, in 1I43, according to
HuXham, many horses were diseased and
deer periShed in January" IThe deer seen
TO be sharing the lot Of horses this time, too
if a paragraph copied in this mornings DtS
patch be true.] In l775 DR.. Fothergill re-
ports that "disease among dogs and horse:
was general over England before the iniu
enza broke out" and it was preceded by''al
most uniyeral cough among horses in north
Wales" A history of the epidemic Of 1903
states that "epizootic diseases preceded it,
in some places among one or two species OF
animals only, IN others among scyeral-as
cats, dogs, horses, COWS, sheep, and swine, y
rs was observed in various R,rts Of England.
Disease among sheep and horses was also
noticed ut the time Of the epidemic OF
1881. In order, however. to relieve the
approximations of those who might lie i'll
ciiued TO anticipate from the above facts a
repetition of the "Tyler rrppe" few