Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-12-25
LA GRIPPE OR INFLUENZA.
History of the European Epidemic
Extent Of its Ravages.

WASHINGTON, December 24.-George
w. Wurts, Charge d'Affa;res at 1the
United States legation at st. Petersburg,
has sent the State Department an ac-
count of the prevalence of ls grippe.
About the middle of November public
attention was called to a large number of
persons falling ill with much the same
symptoms as fever-severe pains in the
head, back and limbs. For lack of q
better name he states the malady has
been called influenza, but it shows signs
of a typ old character, though not of a
malignant nature, and up to the date of
writing, December 9Th, no fatal case had
been reported. The illness in most
cases is very light and lasts but few
days, seldom longer than two weeks. It
leaves, however, all persons who have
been touched by it in great debility
and great depression of spirits.
In fact the after-effects are rather more
unpleasant than the complaint itself.
The cause of the epidemic has not been
satisfactorily explained. Most persons
ascribe it to the warm weather of the
past month, but that would not account
for its appearance in Siberia, where it
burst out in several places; the weather
there having been as cold as usual this
season. Now that winter seems to have
fairly set in here it is expected that the
malady will disappear, but meanwhile
nearly everyone is affected. There is no
exaggeration in printing the num- Der of
sick at fully two thirds of the population
Of st. Petersburg; certainly not house
has escaped its visitation. The Emperor
was very i'll with it several days, and
scarcely member of the Imperial fam
lily have been free from it. More than
40, 900 cases has been medically anthem
ticated, but these represent small por-
ton Of the sufferers.
THE DISEASE AT VIENNA.
VIENNA, December PA frequent Sc
quail to the CAGES of influenza here is an
attack of inflammation of the lungs. A
number of persons in the hospital who
have been suffering from influenza have
been stricken with inflammation of the
lungs, and several of them have died.
The influenza made it's appearance in the
Jesuit school at Kalksburg, the pupils of
which are the children of the conserva-
tive aristocracy. Sixty-eight schools have
been attacked.
IT'S RAvAGES AT BRUSSELS.
BRUSSELS, December 24.-Infuenza is
rapidly spreading here. Thirty per cent.
of the school children are suffering. The
schools have been closed. The disease
has spread to all the Government offices
many of the officials are Frustrated.
HISTORY OF INFLUENZA.
THE epidemic affection commonly
known in different countries az influenza,
and by French writer's as la grippe, is
al, orof M vi oh nv
fammation, and is treated in most
works of reference under the head of
bronchitis. Appleton's American Cy-
cloradia says Of it in relation to the
subject of bronchitis: "Its occurrence
from time to time has been noted by
medical writer's for several centuries. II
is an epidemic remarkable for its extern
sive and rapid diffusion, sometimes ex-
tending within brief period over
many different and widely separated
countries. Influenza differs from or
binary acute bronchitis in the
to the frontal and maxillary sinuses, the
lachrymal ducts and conjunction, and the
Eusfachian tube; but more especially it
differs in greater amount of constitu.
tional disturbance. 1t is, in fact, to be
iOSoi0ON do Souoral VI COuhtlLutluudl
disease, of which the bronchitis is the
local manifestation. Like all epidemic
diseases, this has doubtless special
cause, and this cause undoubtedly is in
the atmosphere. The special cause, how
ever, is independent Of appreciable at.
mospheric changes. OF the nature,
source and mode of diffusion of the
cause we have no positive knowledge;
but we are equally ignorant of
the especial causes of many, and indeed
of most epidemic diseases. That these
diseases depend on organic entities ia a
supposilion which at the present time
many regard with favor; but this re-
mains to be proved or disapproved by
further researches. During some cpl
denies of influenza, vast number OF
persons are simultaneously affected.
Generally the affection is mild; but it
occasions some fatality among the aged
and feeble. The fatality, however, is in
general due to complications which
occur, and of these capillary bronchitis
and pneumonia are especially apt to
cause death. Ed]'
Bay City Cham Der of Commerce.
SAN FRANCISCO, December PA spe.
cial meeting of the Chamber of Com