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

dangerous"
ON THE SOUTHSIDE.
General Health Not Very Good, but an Al
most Entire Absence of Typhoid Fever,
So Prevalent Heretofore-The
Substitute Epidemic
on Hand.
DR.. W. K. Young, OF No. 70 Carson
street, said: "The general health is not
quite as good as it was last winter; but
there is not more than one-tenth as much
typhoid fever as there was two years ago.
This is a bad season for pneumonia and
bronchial troubles. There is good deal of
what physicians call epidemic influenza,
but 1 have seen only one case that ap-
preached what we would call a typical case.
That patient is getting better. The condi-
tions have been such as to cause much acute
catarrh, and this influenza scare makes
them think they have the grip. believe
the profession is about equally divided as to
) whether these catarrhal attacks are epidemic
influenza or not. 1t is about % years since
such an epidemic visited this country, so
that only the old practitioners have seen it
before. IT after this long warm spell it
should become cold, we would have twice
as much sickness as we now have. After
a cold snap a warm spell causes digestive
troubles and hepatic congestion. A mild
winter is not necessarily unhealthy. The
trouble is that in this warm weather we
have been having people eat food which is
proper only for cold weather, salt pork and
the like.
LONGING FOR REAL WINTER.
DR.. A. D. Brewster, of No. 1O11 Carson
street, said: "This has been.a very healthy
winter until within about ten days. 1t would
be better if it were cold. There is good bit
of influenza. prescribed for seven cases to-
day. Some of them are bad, but not serious.
believe it is epidemic. 1 cannot say that
any of my cases show all the symptoms of
the disease. tits rare that case is entirely
typical. The patients have severe headache,
high temperature and aching throughout
the body. Some have congested throat and
conjunctiva of the eye. Outside of that the
health of the community is pretty good"
DR.. /. Donnan, of No. 1013 Carson street,
said: ''In my practice there is more sick
ness this winter than last. The affections
are principally pulmonary, and there are
many cases of pneumonia, not many fatal
Within the last few days Ihave found many
cases of influenza, and think it is on the
increase. 1 have seen more of it to-day than
at any time before. think the grip is here
without doubt. have had several which
I consider typical cases. The painful part
of the disease is of very short duration"
TWO WHO DISAGREE.
Dr. A. D. Hustled, of South Thirteenth
street, said: Except as to colds, the gen.
eral health is good. There are some lung
and throat troubles, but no endemic or in
fictitious diseases. I find no very definite
cases of pneumonia. I have had four cases
of influenza, but they did not amount to
much. / do not think they were epidemic
influenza. One of my patients in Knox
vile was very badly scared because he
thought he had the grip"
DR.. j. D! Thomas, of Thirteenth street,
said: "We never had sickness such as we
are having just now. 1t is an epidemic.
was not in Russia, and do not know
whether this is the Russian epidemic or not,
but think it is. 1t is in the regular wave
from Russia, across Europe, over the sea, and
gradually westward across this continent.
did not recognize any cases of this disease
until about five days ago. I have seen
number of new cases to-day. / think that
in two or three days more we will not find
many new cases. There is no other disease
like it. 1t assumes two types. onea catarrhal
or influenza type, and the other constitu-
tional affection from the poison, which pro-
duces intense headache, chills, pains all
over the body, and temperature as high, in
some cases, as 104 degrees.
ITS PECULIAR PHASES.
"The poison is peculiar one. The most
feature is the suddenness
of the attack NV patients can tell the
very minute when they became sick.
The catarrhal cases are not so sudden
and the recovery is not SO prompt. Outside
of this epidemic there is no unusual sick
ness; little scarlet fever and diphtheria, but
no typhoid fever. There has been very lit
tie typhoid since the fall rise in the river.
We are constantly getting fresh water from
the mountains"
DR.. W. j. Riggs, of South fifteenth street,
said: "Our community has been remarka-
bly, healthy until last week. From the mid
die of last week until now the sickness on
the Southslde has been increasing. It is
mostly pneumonia, typhoid and colds. tits |
the result of the recent wet weather. have
found some influenza, but it is only the old |
kind. do not take any stock in |
The grip. have seen four patients since |
supper, but they were simply suffering from |
bad colds or acute catarrh. If this damp |
weather continues there will be more sick |
ness"
NOTHING DANGEROUS ABOUT IT.
DIR. E. E. Riggs, of Carson street, said: |
'There is a great deal of sickness in this
section, but there is nothing dangerous |
about it. The type of disease is principally
catarrhal in Its character; for two or three /
days the grip, or what has been called
he grip, has been subsiding. 1 think it
has reached its acme and is going down.
There is no epidemic OF any kind, nor do I |
fear any. The prevailing weather has
tendency to produce colds, and that is about
The worst complaint on the Southside.'
DR.. 1. W. Riggs, OF South Fifteenth,
thought the old type of the Pittsburg grip
had struck the city. "I don't believe it is
anything else. If there were no colds on
the Southside we would have very healthy
There are some very bad cases
grip, somewhat augmented. There is
nothing dangerous about it. There is
some sickness from other causes, but it
lon't amount to much just now"
DR.. M. A. Arnholt, of Carson street, said:
Il have Is cases, and I can give you their
names ana places of residence, that resemble
he grip somewhat, but it is simply
nisnomer to call it the Russian grip I
10 not believe there is a genuine case in
America. There is too much talk about it.
And 1 won't blame the newspapers for it
entirely. The physicians are at fault for
iaying they have the cases when they have
lot. There is q grear deal of sickness on the
the most of it is the result of ex-
oosure. 1 have not seen case of sneezing
.mong all the cases have treated"
N q 4 L /
patients under my care, but I assure you
here is no grip among them. I do not
,eieve there is any in the city,"