Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-11

! certain ABOUT bne exact year, bucIc " as
winter much like this. 1t was followed al
through spring and summer by bad feve
epidemic. i could give you several othe
years during which the same state OF AFFAIR
was noticeable if had time TO hunt up tn
proper authorities. You will find it to b
the general rule that mild winters are fol
lowed BY feYers, and even cholera, in tn
spring. About the grip? have two case
that can safely call grip cases; and gooC
many doubtful ones. The influenza gen
eral in Pittsburg is widely different from
| the ordinary disease. 1t is much more VIC
| lent and is accompanied, in many cases, b.
what rivermen call 'breakbone' fever. Yes
the health outlook, unless the long promised
cold wave comes, is not at all bright one.
Dr. r. E. Warner: 81 consider the oper
winter rather good thing for crowded
city. In densely packed cities you will tinC
that vigorous cold is conducive to sickness
Cold weather keeps the poorer class of city
folk huddled up together, in close atmos
phere. In open weather they have mor'
chances of going about don't regard tht
weather as conducive to the dissemination
of fever germs 1 admit that typhoid nigh
arise from decomposition of animal matter
in the streets, and that the heat and moist
ure NE have at present might generate the
germs Of typhoid from that decomposeo
matter. But I think that this state o.
weather cannot last long enough to give
typhoid a chance.
AN INDICATION OF CHOLERA.
f'The newspapers seem to want to scare
people just now. I wonder they have moi
discovered one fact which my statistical
studies have revealed to me. This is, that
serious influenza is very frequently fol-
louod hxv nholara Az v0,1 rnor
lean physicians have been on the lookout
for Asiatic cholera this many a day. Like
Nellie BLY, and other public afh lotions it is
making tour round the world. Sooner OF
later it must strike these shores. The last
visitation of Asiatic cholera opened with a
grip epidemic. Can it be that the grip we
are getting just now is also herald of the
cholera?"
Dr. A. Blumberg took new course. He
said: STEADY cold, or steady warmth,
would not so much matter. 1t is the change
able weather, the restless weather we are
having now which does the mischief. do
not anticipate any fever, however, as a re-
sultant. The most harm the weather, how
ever changeable, can do, is to give us the
grip. have good many cases of inhu-
enza, and regard the disease as contagious.
I'll tell you what have noticed, and that
is great deal of pleurisy. The attacks are
but slight, but it is certainly pleurisy. It
results from cold and chills. Its symptoms
are pains in the region of the chest; and in
this it differs from influenza, which pro-
duces stomach pains. In other respects its
symptoms are rather like those of pneu-
monia, and this, suspect, has made few
physicians mistake pleurisy for pneu-
monia."
NOT AN UNUSUAL WINTER.
DR.. W. S. Foster: ''If this were very
warm weather we might expect disease later
on; but it is certainly nothing wonderful in
the way of warmth. A sudden change
might also bring about disease, but we have
had no perceptible change of temperature
that know of. We may have had weather
changes, but no changes of temperature
Consequently fail to perceive why we
should expect any violent epidemic. 1
have few mild cases of grip; but the dis
ease is not nearly so severe here, as in New
York. 1t is different, as you say from or
dinary influenza, but it is not dangerous.
I cannot thinK that it is contagious. The
same causes produced it here, as In Europe.
A mild winter in both cases, gave birth to
the grip"
DR.. Josephine Alben said, that she had
believed in the theory that an unusually
hot winter, or hot and damp winter, was
followed by cholera, fever, or some such
scourge. "My old professors, she said,
always held, and taught that doctrine;
and two have found that statistics bear out
their doctrines. But think it is rather
early to talk of disease coming yet. We
do not know at what moment the cold
weather may set in. Yes, grip is prevalent.
have quite number Of cases, snd have
been called up several times at night to at
tend grip cases" ~
IT'S FICKLENESS.
DR.. Mahneke said: "Not the warm
weather, but rather the changeable weather,
must we accuse Of ompassing our health, /
do not credit the theory that warm weather
generates disease. But during the past
month the weather has been forever chang
ing and shifting, making it matter of diff
fculty for the strongest and best clad to es-
cape the evil influences of rain and chill.
Yes, there is, as you say, great deal of grip
in the East End. It is certainly not the
usual infuenza-the influenza that my for
mer experience has made me familiar with.
This epidemic is accompanied by stomach
head and back pains, and great
weakness. 1 don't think it is very danger
Gus, and it certainly has not killed anybody
in Pittsburg. Yet I, myself. have been a
victim, and members of my family have suf-
fered. have had cases in which had to
resort to hypodermic injection in order to
effect cure"
DR.. J. NJ. Batten deprecated the germ
theory. ut is relaxing weather." he said,
''and may predispose many people to sick
ness. But the germ theory take cum
grano sails have seen few cases of
grip.
NOT AT ALL ORDINARY.
mo one, whose wits were about him.
could mistake it for ordinary influenza. It
seems to show itself in bone aches, loss of
appetite, sneezing and chills. The damp
abroad is responsible for it, of course. No;
grip is not contagious by any means.''
DR.. Covert considered the weather, for
The time of year, to be remarkable. 81 have
seen good many winters, for am 20 years
of age" he went on, "but do not remem-
Der any previous winter so perfectly mild.
It Is surprising that the public health con-
tinues so good, in the midst of such unfav.
orable circumstances. There will be reason
70 fear an epidemic, unless the cold wave ar
rives and kills the disease germs"
DR.. Fife said: 'The result of the close
and clammy weather has been to give us
lots of pneumonia and typhoid. There is
FAR more typhoid than is usual in winter
time, for, as you know, typhoid is not con-
;idered a winter disease. OF course, the
weather is responsible for this. If it were
dry and cold we should have no typhoid
trouble. The influenza, also, would give
way before FROST There is a decided epi-
iemic of severe influenza, or grip, in
and elsewhere through Pitts
burg at present. do not anticipate that
any fever, cholera or other serious epidemic
will result from the weather."