The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-20
MUST PREPARE TO sNEEzE.
That Influenza Epidemic is Pretty Sur
70 Reach Us.
From The ,-.o York World

I
70 Reach Us.
/ From The ,s,c York World
That the health department is not
/ alarmed at tee prospective epidemic Of in
fuenza is demonstra5si by the fact that all
7 OF the members Of the board yesterday at
( tented meeting at headquarters in
room occupied % a clerk posse sing all Of
! the symptoms as received bv cable from
Europe. His nose was inham "a. be in
dulEed in a ''drv, hard cough. - he sneez ID
! industriously. be appeared deb.litatcd, and
when asked what time the members Of the
health board would arrive, replied with
due influenza accent:
I'D IS nod csrtaid whad tibe they viii
/ cub"
I And yet the health department, indivii-
ually and collectively, denies that the cpl
derlic has reached New York That il IS
liable T. reacn here, however, IS not denied,
but on the contrary, il is recognized as
probable visitor of the near future; bus il
/ Is looked forward 70 as likely % afford IN
tevss.ing study. combined with degree OF
grim huInor, and a CONSENSUS Of medical
Op mon indicates that even people who are
afflicted viii have a reasonable chance Of
laughing at their neghbOrs either before
their own affiiction oratter their recovery
thus to recomDonss them for their individ-
uaI misery. An occasional physician thinks
we will escape the epidemic, but suca oDin-
ions are rare.
"You cannot quarantine atmosphere,
and, as the influenza epidemic Is in the air,
l don't see now we can head it off if it takes
a notion to visit New York" said Dr. Will
lam NJ. Smith, health officer of the port.
In fact, it is not certain that we are really
threatened with the epidemic. | have sesn
30 symptoms Of it on any of the incoming
European steamers, and IL could not be i'm
ported IN that way anyhow, unless the at
mOspheric conditions were favorable. II IS
an infectious, not contagious, disease, and
possesses local characteristics or prefer
ence2 While it prevails in en- epidemic
form in some paris Of Europe, it has not
made its appearance in others, and hence
may not come here at all, or, if it does, may
assume very mild form. 1t is entirely de-
pendent ON atmospheric conditions for its
growth, and the atmosphere In its Journey
across the ocean from Europe may change
its conditions, become disinfecJed, as it
were, and not afford the proper conditions
for disseminating influenza when 1t reaches
this country. Even if it gets here it is
likely 70 affect special localities only, and
not become general. This is illustrated
by the fact that the car was
attasked in st. Petersburg one day,
and a few days later, before the
most active contagious disease could travel
so far, 1t made its appearance in Paris.
Sporadic cases might be brought here by
passengers who contracted the disease in
Europe, but it could not spread and become
epidemic from such importations. / do not
agree with the statements that influenza
epidemicS are a natural fOrerunner of
cholera, notwithstanding cholera has on
several occasions appeared close Oh the heels
of such epidemics. 1t is not impossible,
however, that this epidemic of influenza
ha efu
for cholera. l really see no occasion for
alarm, though, as, even if an influenza cpl
demic does come, 1t Will not endanger lives,
and at the worst viii prove but q temporary
ANNOYANCE
eve have seen no indications of the
presence of influenza in an epidemic form
in any Of the health reports to the depart
ment," said President Wilson of the health
department. Il see no occasion for alarm
at the probability Of an epidemic of infu-
enza, if we are really threatened with such
a visitation"
81 have noticed no signs of tho advent of
an epidemic Of Influenza" said Dr. Joseph
ID. Bryant, the health commissioner land
do not see any occasion for alarm on that
score. II it comes here il will be interest
ing 70 the medical profession, as it will give
us an opportunity to scientifically study its
origin and method of spreading. II is too
sequent trouble need be feared. as there is
no ground for the assertion made
that more serious epdemics of
disease follow it. People who
are attacked viii suffer scarcely moro
than from a severe cold, and il they are
careful, will speedily recover, as it takes
influenza but few DAYS to run its course
The health department has taken no special
steps to prevent the advent OF the epidemic
In fact, no effectual steps are possible, as it
IS in the air and could not be headed off if
1t tooS notion to come here Il we get it
we VIII have to content ourselves with
coughing and sneeZing In concert, and pa
| tlently await recovery TO get satisfaction
by laughing at other unfortunates Itmav
not be severe here, but notice it is in Eu-
rope, and when it makes its appearance in
a locality few escape it."
In Europe influenza has been known to
| traverse the entire country in six weeks, and
whole fleets at sea have been afflicted stimuli
taneously and all of the sailors disabled. as
was the fleet of Admiral Kempenfelt of
England in 1882, while on the coast of
France, compiling return home. Its ac-
ton is similar to the epidemic of epizootic
which visited this country in 1872, and, after
running its course with the equine popula-
ton, attacked the human inhabitants and
gained a widespread reputation as an cpl
demic of influenza.
In report to the board Of health, DIR. A.
b. Judson, assistant sanitary inspector at
the time, gave an interesting history of the
epizootic epidemic. 1t first made its ap-
pearance, according to DR.. Judson's report,
| IN Toronto, Canada, and was first alluded
to in the newspapers OF Oct 4, 1872 aud
| appears to have been first discovered four
| days previously, when fourteen horses in
| one stable were simultaneously stricken
| down. A week or two later it had spread
TO all of the towns northwest Of Toronto,
and with marvellous rapidity it had made
| startling progress toward every point of
| the compass 1t first appeared in the
| United States at Niagara Falls, where the
| overworked and excessively profitable hack
| horses went down under It's assault.
| 1t struck Niagara Falls Oct. ii, and by
| the end of the month had spread all over
the Middle and New England states, Travelled
as far south as Norfolk, Va, and west to
| Chicago, and within day or two after its
arrival in each town street cars and other
| vehicles dependent on horses for motive
power retired, and pedestrianism obtained q
/ IL ! A. D. a -.