Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-01-11
WINDY CITY NEWS.
Chicago's Vital Statistics At
fected by La Grippe.
A GREAT INCREASE IN MORTALITY

The Blizzard Prayed for tc Rout the
"snixxard''-Eight Deaths So Far Re-
ported, aud n Decided Increase I'm the
Number of Cases-Topers Take Quinine
with Their snifters = Medical Treat
mcnt-A Disastrous Boiler Explosion
Errors I'm the Cronin Case.
CHICAGO, Jan. 1.-THE general mortality
In this city is abnormally high, owing TO the
unreasonable weather and la grippe, al
though the latter epidemic has not taken
hold here like It did in the east Up to
Thursday night seven deaths had been re-
ported attributed primarily TO the influenza
Most of the deaths, however, are the result
OF pulmonary diseases In 1887 from these
complaints CO deaths occurred in the first
week of January; in 1883, %; in 1889, W,
while this years the figures went TO l45, an
increase Of ~ over the first week OF Decem-
Der, 1850, and 90 OF these occurred in the last
half of the week
The Grip Getting q Good Hold.
Health Commissioner Wickersham said
yesterday that from reports furnished him
he believed the disease to be growing IN ex-
tent IL not In intensity. There was no quar-
ter of the city where numerous cases could
not be found He believed that the epidemic
was essentially the same that which was
reported i'm the eastern cities, and unless
there was radical change in the weather
shortly he expected to see some of the same
serious results here which had followed the
disease there.
Cases Where It Was Fatal
The fatalities, 81 far rs he had observed,
resulting from ailments in the nature of in
huenza were usually in the case of aged and
inflrm persons, those who had been previous
" debilitated, and persons who, after being
nj tacked by the disease, either neglected to
care for themselves in the first stages or ex-
posed themselves too soon after reaching
convalesence, and thereby suffered relapse.
He thought that physicians here as a rule
were fully alive to the gravity of the situa-
ton, and were doing all they could to lessen
its dangers, but he did not look to see any
marked or general improvement until we
had a change OF weather by which the pres
ent humidity of the atmosphere would be
lessened
The Old school Remedies.
Physicians in all sections of the city re-
ported slight increase in the number of
cases Medical men of the old school still
rely largely on antipyrine and quinine, and
| find them eflicacious in the different stages
| of the disease The latter has been generally
| adopted both as a preventive and cure by
people who doctor themselves. It's sale by
| the druggists holds up to the large proper
tions reached early in the month, and much
| the larger amount is sold without physi-
clans prescription
They Take Ouinine In Theirs.
Its sale has extended largely beyond the
drug stores, and in many of the saloons the
| quinine bottle occupies as permanent a po-
sition ON the shelf as the sugar bowl The
story of the sixteen men who took sugar in
theirs has been revived, but quinine has
taken the place of the sugar There is no
| restriction by the white-aproned chemists
who compound beverages for the public, as
| to the amount to he used. The wide
mouthed bottle has n capacious spoon in it,
the customer measures his own dose and
/ downs il as effectually rs possible, but there
Is no heartiness in his heres looking at
you" and the grimace that follows its tax
ing Off has no appearance of conviviality
| Homeopathic Treatment.
The homeopathists have the call ON the
i palatableness of their remedies for the dis
ease, and report good success in their use.
One doctor said he found atrOpine servicea-
BILE In reducing the aching pains that usually
accompanied attacks, and that aconite acted
promptly in reducing the fever. He used
/ quinine in addition, more or less, prescribing
it in two-grain doses night and morning
Another had found belladonna with arseni
cum Of much value, and used bryonia with
good effect in some phases of the disease He
said he had found three pretty distinct type
Of the disease in his practice-one the cough
ing and sueezing type, another the case:
marked by pronounced fever, and the THIRD
the cases where the stomach and bowels wer,
attacked and nausea with purging and vom
iting followed. IL WAS in the latter class o.
cases that he found bryonia most valuable.
| Where IL Prevails Most.
A marked feature of the disease is its prev
alence among the people exposed to tn,
weather. A considerable proportion of tn,
regular street car drivers and conductor
and grip-line men are laid up with it, anc
their places are filed with extra men anc
substitutes. The same report is made con
corning the teamsters and cabmen Officer
Martin Timm, Of South Chicago, died las
evening from the effects of la grippe II,
was taken sick while on duty Tuesday night
and had to go to his home. Pneumonia Sc
in Thursday and he failed rapidly