Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-03-19
Influenza, or La Grippe
To The Editor of the Alexandria Gazette


Diseases OF the air passages of The human
body are coexstent With the life of mau
and thsre is no doubt that the ancients were
very familiar with the disease known at the
present day as iphuenza or Ia grippe. This
maady makes It's appearance at all sea5on
of tho ear, tc annoy and distress mankind
bu. it IS only when it exists in an epidemic
or nandemic form that it excite5 general Sc
liciiude It's tavorite season in the United
States Is that Of winter and 1t occurs as an
epidemic once n every ten or eleven years,
and once OF i've times of it's invasion it pro
Gains its character in attributes OF a pam
demic, claiming at the time OF its prevalence
almost all countries 80 the scope OF its in
cursions If she neme modified the nature
and severity of disease one might be cap
tous, or fastdious about it, but this ls not
lhe case, aud usage associates certain names
wih certain diseases in manner which
makes it difficult to rename them. 80
it is with the name irduenza, which, IN a
pathological sense, has no significance IN
reference 10 the nature Or severity OF the
naa6y to which it is applied. The Italians
thought the disease Was caused Dy some
mysterious Influence, which the planets ex.
erted upon the health, and in accordance
with this notion they called the disease inHu
epza. From the suddenness of its attack
the French named it, La Grippe; and the
proba piiiey is, tnat these TWO names being
the forerpnners of all others, will ever be
retained 20 designate the melady. The true
character Of the disease gives it the
appearance of sn epidemic catarrb,
which selects either the mucous mem.
brsne of the chest, throat and nose,
or the mucous membrane Of the bowels
a. the special object OF lis attack. Some
times il attacks but one of those membranes,
frequently it attacks them all while at
other times it attacks these membranes but
slightly, and will spend all the power OF its
poison upon the nervous system alone but
ia whatever manner 1t does make it's attack,
the symptoms, which il produces, always
indicate the operation of 3 powerful and de-
pressing poison, extremely subtle in effect,
and obscure in nature. II is as ubiquitous in
It's habitude as 1t is paDdemc in disposition,
aud attacks as readily the sailor ID mid
ocean as it does the landsman iu his inland
home and Proteus like, it will make its ap-
pearance in the semblance of typhoid fever
in the adult, and as infantile remittent fever
in the child. In large msjority Of cases 1t
makes lis attack suddenly, without showing
any period of incubation; in other cases
there ara instances in which 1t Is t~o or
three days in coming 90; butt rule ISL the
mslady to make its attack et once, and often
without IN hours notice. 1t commences
with chilliness, often attended with shiver
ing. followed in an hour or two with decided
fever. with heat of the BODY reaching in
many cases to temperature OF lob or lO5
i iaA ,,,it hna do n.
lent pains in the back, and great pain and
soreness in the limbs and joints. The pain
in the head is usually referred 10 the fore,
head ut the root CT the nose; sometimes the
whole scalp is very painful aud tender. The
eyes become sensitive and watery; heat and
unessiness about the throat are also com.
pleined of, and sneezlng, with running OF
watery mucus from the nose, is present.
Hoarseness and drynesR of the throat, at
tended with trouble of breathing and oppres.
zion about the lungs, is followed by con-
slant troublesome cough.
Upon the first appearance of these
symptoms most remarkable debility
and lassitude, attended By profuse perspira
on, make their appearance also and con-
tinue with great persistence not only during
the progress OF the malady, but for days, and
sometimes weeks, after the preliminary
symptoms that ushered in the disease have
passed off The violence of the disease
spends its force in from four to eight days,
and usually st the END of fortnight the
malady goes off leaving no traces except a
cough and the characteristic debility. Yet
while the cough and debility remain there is
not only danger of relapse but tho likelihood
of the occurrence Of pneumonia. Ihe
phases of influenza are very much gov
ernsd by the healthinsss or uuhealth'
mess of the person attacked; and
it almost always shows itself in one OF
these varieties: First in the nervous sys-
tenn; second, in the air passages, ana the
third in the stomach and bowels.
The first variety may be considered the
nervous, in which the prominent symptoms
are headache, lessitude and great depres-
sion Of spirits, accompanied by severe pains
in the limbs and body the second, is the
thoracic form, 10 which ell the organs OF the
air passages are involved the third varle.
~ is that in which the abdominal tract is
principally implicated; and this form OF the
disease makes itself known by nausea, vom-
iting and diarrhea, complicated Dy catarrhal
discharges from the bowels. The varites
are readily recognized, and it is exceedingly
important in the care of case OF influenza
to make correct distinction, in order to
avoid empiricism in the treatment of the
disease. Whatever may be the variety OF
the disease, it Is not only exceedingly liable
TO relapse, but elso to become chronic; and
I have known it to lesve individuals weak
snG complaining invslids for two or three
months after the original attack has passed
off, and have known persons to have four
relapses in the space of two months, Fl.
paliy recovering after Glow and tedious
convalescepce. These relapses may occur