Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-11
HOW TO CURE lNRLgENzs.
THE BEST AND SAFEST TREATMENT OF
THAT DISORDER.
Medicinal Remedies and Their Doses-To
Whom the Disease Threatens
Danger-Etc.
From the Boston Herald.

most every newspaper Of note will contain
a complete history of it from the beginning
to the end. Not only will the future his
torian of epidemics be able in that way to
trace its outbreak from day to day, but he
can fully inform himself as to the popular
methods of treatment employed. Beside
all these details, he will find, also, infinite
coniectures as to the nature of the affection
and its causes. Just at present this cpl
demic is, quite naturally, considering its
prevalence, the one absorbing topic of
newspaper discussion. Column upon col
umn is devoted to the subject, and with
! the theories of the so-called experts are
blended the testimonials of laymen, and
the reputed essentials of treatment-all in
tangle, which no one, except he be a
physician, can hope to unravel.
First, the public are informed that this
! epidemic is in some way related to chol-
era, and is but precursory of that terrible
malady. Then it is suggested that it is the
! dengue, or break bone fever, imported from
the regions of Africa, and slightly altered
| in form to meet the requirements of a
colder and moister climate The English
have entered the field with other theorists
and claimed the epidemic as its own
Sweating sickness" which found victims
for some sixty-fiye years, between the ff-
teenth and sixteenth centurie. and then
seemed to run out. The French recognize
in this prevailing distemper their disagree
able old friend, ''la grippe" or influenza,
which visited them at irregular intervals
during the last three centuries. Ameri-
cans are more modest, and, as a rule, are
very willing to concede that the epidemic
belongs to Europe They are not, how
ever, ready to accept the theories that have
come over with it, Individual specula-
tions on these points have often been re-
ported in the newspapers, but rarely have
any appeared from representative physi-
clans. The professional code is rigid, and
physicians whose opinions are of value re-
! ligiously cleaye to it. They will not air
their views in public prints nor permit
themselves to be quoted and brought into
prominence. For that reason interview
ers find them extremely disappointing !;
and what is unfortunate, neither they nor
the public can appreciate this, one of the
greatest of the virtues of the medical pro-
fession-rigid restraint by a sense of pro-
priety.
In medical journal devoted entirely to
physicians there has just appeared an ar
ticle on the present epidemic, by a physi-
clan connected with one of our medical
colleges. This article-never intended
for the eyes of professionally been
reprinted in newspapers all over the coun-
try. 1t contained much to which other
physicians will take exception, and some
thing which is liable to be misconstrued,
and so likely to do harm. That being the
case, honest criticism in the interests OF the
public is not only justi6able, but duty.
In the first place it is evident that the au-
thor has Jumped to conclusions as to the
nature and cause of the prevailing affec-
ton, and has based his views on mere
speculation-a very insecure foundation.
On such a groundwork he builds his pre-
ventiYe treatment, and advises as the best
way of warning off the affection, the in
halation of sulphurous acid gas daily,
when the approach of the epidemic renders
it necessary, and by taking various medi-
cines. His assumption that the so-called
influenza is germ disease" Is probably
correct, but until he knows something of
the specific germ, its nature, how it finds
entrance into the system, etc, it is not
clear how he can intelligently define the
chest manner of securing immunity"
There are some disease germs which the
gaseous part of his plan of treatment
would destroy there are others which
would not be likely to be affected materi-
ally by it. If a man shut himself up in a
room and kept the air therein loaded with
sulphur fumes, the chances are, of course,
he would not fall victim to the distem-
per. But an occasional inhalation of such
is not, by any means, likely to prevent IN
fiction. As for dosing with quinine or
the salicylate of cinchonidine, as he sug-
gests, very few physicians indeed will ac-
cept that it is likely to do good, for il is a
little more than a shot at random. In the
same article it is advised that when per-
son falls victim to the "inffuenza" he be
given atropine in solution, "as theinter-
nal agent most desirable" Now this
agent is about the last for non-profes-
slonal to triAe with, for it is ore of the
most powerful of medicaments-more dan
gerous, in fact, than strychnine or arsenic.
And herein lies the harm Of giving such
wide publicity to this plan Of treatment,
which laymen will naturally assume is a
proper one for them TO apply. Whether
| or not it is serviceable in the hands of
physicians there is no occasion TO discuss J;
certainly none hut they ought to attempt
to follow it.
Domestic remedies for the influenza, in
| infinite number, We find recommended i'll
the columns of the newspapers. Not I'M
naturally, to stimulants is given the prefer
u 1.l,at. --ft
has the call. There is generally a firm
confidence in the efficacy of quihine, and it
really seems in some cases to have de-
cided beneficial effect when taken in large
doses. Fortunately, it is practically harm
less. But this prevailing disease does not
manifest itself with invariable symptoms.
On some persons it appears as a true febri-
cula, or little fever, and the air passages
are not noticeably affected. In others,
however, there are all the distressing man
! ifestations Of a severe "cold in the head"
In the febricular type quinine acts fairly
well. but in the other, but little good re-
/ suits from its use. There is one very evil
! dent essential in the treatment, and that
! is. that all who are attacked at once go
! home, and stay there until conyaleseenee
is assured.
Mild attacks prove the most obstinate,
because they are generally neglected, and
the victims continue to go about their ac-
custemed duties, and are more or less ex-
posed to cold and damp. In such cases the
trouble runs on for days and days, and
quite a severe bronchitis is, as a rule, ex-
perieneed before recovery does take place.
Hot foot baths in febrile attacks in which
there is headache and pain in the limbs,
usually seem to do considerable good, by
drawing the blood to the lower part of the
body and away from the head and upper
part. They are quite generally employed
in the influenza, but their effect is not as
marked as usual When the nasal pas
sages are involved and there is much
"stuffiness," limitations of steam medicated
with camphor or some other agent are
often used, and the patients think that