Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-01-03
THE LATEST EPIDEMIC or f,HE
NINETEENTH GENTTFRY.

Within the short space of fifteen days
influenza has become an epidemic, extend
ing pretty much all over the United States.
In New York it is estimated that fully
fifty thousand people are suffering from it :
in Philadelphia twenty-five thousand; in
Baltimore a like number, and in all the
large cities n orth and West about the same
proportion to their population. The hos
pitfalls in all the cities are crowded, and in
many cases where complications with other
diseases arose, influenza has resulted in
death. For several weeks before it reached
this country it had been traversing Europe,
having started in Russia. Kings and
mobiles have been afflicted, and from the
highest to the lowest in the social scale all
are troubled with it.
| This is the first time in century that
America has suffered from this epide-
mic. Just one hundred years ago it was in
this country, and Dr.. John Warren writing
from Washington city, said that ''our be-
loved President Washington is now recov-
ering from severe and dangerous attack
Oh IT, LII IOOU IL lCtl Ill Sllllld III Cttll-
uary, and spread through Russia to West
ern Europe, but did not cross the Atlantic.
Again, in December, 1886, it started in
Russia and spread over Europe, but did not
cross the sea. About ten years ago it pre-
vailed in the United States in SO mild a
form as to be hardly noticeable. Several
times in the past century it has appeared in
Europe, and tWice-in 1881 and 1S47, was
| followed by the dreaded Asiatic cholera. 1t
is that fearful remembrance that gives it
it's terror now, far more than any real
danger attending it.
So far, in Europe, the fatal cases have
occurred where there were bronchial and
lung troubles, and the development of pneu-
monia brought fatal termination. Prof
Robert Bartholomew, of Jefferson Medical
College, Philadelphia, says of it:
The best manner of securing immunity is
by the inhalation OF sulphurous-acidg gas daily
when the approach OF the epidemic renders it
cilicate of cinchonidine three times day, and
by so living as to avoid taking cold. When
the attack has begun it seems to be desirable
to give one or two grains OF calOmel at night,
l1lildIb SolilG ulputtl gas, dllu nave
! the patient sit in room where steam contain
ing eucaytopal can be inhaled in large
quantity. The Insulation of resorcin by dust
ing over the entire area OF the affected parts
as far as practicable is also recommended
An internal remedy most desirable is atrophine
| in solutiOn-one grain to one ounce of water
the dose being from one to five drops, the
minimum being for little children after the
first dentition. Tincture of belladona may be
used-frOm one to ten drops twice day AS
this medicament is both prompt and pro-
longed in its action, it should be given not
more than twice day unless the dose is much
smaller than is advised above. Salycilicate
of cinchonidine and quinine should be given
as a prophy Tactic remedy If there be reasons
to suppose that such power is really exerted
by it. My own conviction is that as pro-
phylactic a combination of cinchonidine with
safylic acid is preferable to quinine. For de-
preston and melancholy it is probable that
atrophine will do better. For distressing
headache, joint pains, and wakefulness
antipyrine, actonilla, phenectin, and other
germicides and antiseptics will no doubt be
found useful