Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-25
HISTORY OF THE GRIP.
How the Epidemic First Appeared and
Its Journeys Since.

HlSIORf OF THE GRIP.
How the Epidemic First Appeared and
Its Journeys Since.
The first official history of the epidemic of
influenza in Europe is contained in the British
Medical Journal of the issue of January 4. The
sketch Of the progress of the great epidemic is
founded on the most reliable published infor-
nation available.
The first cases recognized in Europe were
observed in st. Petersburg about October 10,
and by November ~ 1t had spread over nearly
the whole Of European Russia. The number
of cases in st. Petersburg alone, according to
DIR. Butts estimate, was $4,000, or nearly
three-fourths OF the total estimated population
1t is not known whether the disease travelled
from Siberia to St. Petersburg or vice versa
The epidemic was first noticed in Tomsk an
important commercial town of Central Sibe-
rla-separated by nearly 1000 miles from st.
Petersburg-about October Is, or at the very
time when the epidemic was beginning to de-
veiop with rapidity in ST. Petersburg. 1t APP
peared in the Caucasus about November l. and
was at its height at Merry, 500 miles to the east,
toward the end of December, when the cpl
demic was decreasing i'll st. Petersburg and
Berlin.
The influenza broke out in Berlin toward the
end Of November and spread very rapidly.
Prof. Leyden estimated that third OF the in
habitants of the city were suffering from it.
1t began to decline by December %. Mean
while 1t had spread rapidly in central and
southern Germany and was on December Is
present in nearly every important town from
Hamburg in the north to Munich in the south.
1t was severely felt III Frankfort, and in Mainz
the tramway service was partially suspended
owing to the large number of men on the sick
list. 1t was present in Dresden on December
%; Prague. December 81; Vienna, December
IL Belgrade, December L. and at Bucharest
and sophia, December "a. Extending west
ward it appeared in Brussels December II,
and in Antwerp, December IL, spreading so
extensively in these cities during the following
two weeks that 1t WAS necessary to close the
schools and seriously affected the garrisons. 1t
had already appeared i'll Amsterdam and other
Dutch cities. In Copenhagen the epidemic APP
peared early in December and the number OF
cases notified in the week ending December II
was over 5000.
IT REACHES PARIS.
Cases were observed in Paris as early as No
vember II, assuming epidemic proportions
about November &c, when a large number OF
persons employed in the Magazius du Louvre
were attacked. The number of cases in this
shop rapidly increased until it reached go on
December 10. The epidemic did not prevail to
any serious extent in the French provincial
towns, but so large a number of cases occurred
at Monte Carlo d. seriously to interfere with the
engrossing occupation of gambling The dis
ease first appeared south of the Pyrennes on
December II at Malaga On December IA there
were few cases in Madrid, one of the earliest
reported being that of the boy king. 1t spread
| rapidly, and by December 20 most of the Span
lsh provinces had become affected 1t ap.
peared in Lisbon and Oporto about the begin
ming Of the fourth week In December.
In Italy the first cases were reported from
IN Z laI
in Verona. Milan, SpeZia and other towns IT.
presence in Rome was denied and it Is doubted
whether any true cases have occurred. In
England the epidemic, up to January 4. had
| not attained serious proportions and its pres
enoe was questioned, but it was conceded thai
an epidemic of influenza prevailed in the ives,
Of London and in the western suburbs for ter
| days prior thereto. 1t had however moi
spread with the rapidity observed in st. Peters
burg, Berlin, Vienna and Paris. There was nc
| distinct epidemic of the disease in East Lon
| don. Influenza prevailed very extensively
| among the horses in England.
Mr. Browardel stated during the discussion a
the academy OF medicine in Paris that the grir
ID always characterized by the precursory symp
| toms OF headache, nausea, prostrations, symp
| toms which are not present in pulmonary ca
tarrh, which has been described as the grip
According to NJ. Rochard the present epidemic
| is the same as that which appeared in 1887
Dengue fever, of which he had observed severa
cases in Senegal, is quite different affection
and Is confined TO tropical countries. In Pari
there were many instances where the grip at
tackled the same person two or three times
| DIR. Pitain believes it to be an infection,
disease. The daily mortality was 100 a day
more than for the same time the previous year
which brought up the daily death rate to 300
| In Vienna in some cases the influenza was tn,
Cause OF the development of catarrhal pneumo
| mia with q fatal issue. The number of applica
tons for admission to the hospitals ON accoun
| Of Influenza was exceedingly great
A well-known physician OF the West End o
| London wrote: Il am convinced that it is .
| most dangerous disease to trife with, owing t,
| relapses, which, SO far as have seen. have oc
Cured on the eighth day. l think the publ,
should be warned to so to bed directly they hav
the shivering and lumbar pains"