Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-30
THE SPREAD OF INFLUENZA.
The Record of the Epidemic In the Pa

which are most calculated to interest the
non-medical public are manifestly those
which relate to the principal or ordinary
channels of its propagation, and to the
extent to which it may be regarded as
contagious. On these, unfortunately,
there is very little to be said; for the his
tories of former epidemics are, in great
measure, contradictory in respect Of
both. In some instances personal con-
tagion has appeared TO be at least highly
probable, while in others it might almost
be excluded.
As an example of the latter class, it is
recorded by DIR. Theophilus Thompson
that, on the I'd of May, 1889, Admiral
Kempenfeldt, who was afterward lost
by the sinking of the Royal George at
Spithead, sailed from thence with a
squadron of ships under his command.
On the Goth of the month influenza ap-
peared among the crew of the Goliath,
one of the ships of the squadron, and the
crews of the remaining ships were after
wards affected. So many men were rem
dered unfit for duty that the squadron
was obliged to return into port about
the second week in June, not having had
any communication with the shore in
the interval, and having cruised only be-
tween Brest and the Lizard.
If the disease were one of what is tech
nically called long incubation-that is,
one the symptoms of which do not make
their appearance for q considerable time
after the exposure to infection-the in
terval between the Cd and the Goth of
May, although unusually long even in
such case, might admit of explana-
ton. But one of the most remarkable
peculiarities of influenza appears to be
the extreme rapidity of its diffusion and
the manner in which it attacks large
numbers of people within few hours
of each other.
Another example, similar to the last,
was furnished by Lord Howe's fleet,
which sailed from England for the
Dutch coast on the 9th of May. To-
wards the end of May the disorder ap-,
peared among the crew of the Rippon,
and, two days later, among the crew
of the Princess Amelia. The crews of
other ships in the fleet were affected at
different times, some not until their re-
turn to Portsmouth in the second week
of June. This fleet, like that of Admiral
Kempenfeldt, had no communication
with the shore after leaving Portsmouth
until it reached the Downs on its return,
about the Sd or 4th of June.
An equally remarkable instance of an
opposite kind was observed during the
epidemic of 1887, when the malady is
first mentioned as having been prevalent
in Lisbon and among the merchant ship
ping in Portuguese and Spanish ports
during the month of January. Early in
February it appeared in the Russell, an
English man-of-war, then at anchor in
the Tagus, and the first man attacked
had been exposed the greater part of the
day in a boat and OH shore. The disease
rapidly spread and affected eighty-four
of the crew. In the same year the Cano-
pus, with $50 men, after three years of
service on the Mediterranean station, left
Malta on the 1st of January, and, after
having stopped twenty-four hours at
Gibraltar and part of the day at BARGE
Iona, reached Plymouth sound on the 1st
of February. The weather was cool and
wet, and influenza was prevalent on
shore, yet the crew continued in perfect
, health until the 18th, when the epidemic
struck down two-thirds of the crew.
: In March the disease reached such a
height at Barcelona that business was
almost entirely suspended, and in April
the crew of the Childers were effected
three or four days after she left that
place. She arrived at Gibraltar, and
next day obtained assistance from the
Jasseur to weigh anchor, on account of
the weakness of her own crew. On the
18th the disease broke out on the Jas.
seur, the first man affected having been
one of the relief party, so as to render it
highly probable that his illness had been
due to contagion.
Notwithstanding that instances SINH
lar to those last quoted have not been
very uncommon, the balance of proba-
bility is certainly opposed to the belief
that contagion furnishes the ordinary
mode of spreading the disease. Many
attempts have been made, in successive
epidemics and in different countries, to
frame hypothesis which might with
some show of reason be held to afford an
explanation of the facts, but these eff
forts have in no instance been entirely
successful. The question of temperature
can hardly be considered important in
the case of malady which has prevailed
in Russia during the winter, and, appar.
emily by direct extension, in Venice and
other Italian towns during the subse.
quent spring and summer.
The authorities are very generally
Z agreed in asserting that influenza years
have been sickly years in other respects
and that contagious fevers, measles
smallpox and other maladies have fire.
D quently preceded or followed the less
serious epidemic. This fact, if fact it be-
a does not in the least tend to expel the
obscurity by which the whole question il
surrounded; because we have learned tt
regard each one of the maladies in ques-
ton as the outcome of specific conta
gion, as capable of reproducing itself
: and itself only, and hence as standing il
no conceivable casual relation to the
others, unless, perhaps, that all alike
: might be rendered more severe by tht
: prevalence of general unsanitary condi
tions, or by incidence upon communi