Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-02-06
THE SPREAD OF INFLUENZA.
1ne Record of the Epidemic in the Fast
and the Lessons learned Thcrefrom.

chan9eA.o Of its propagation, and to the
,bich it may be regarded rs
contagious. On these, unfortunately,
there is very little 10 be said; for the his
tories of former epidemics are. in 4 great
asure, contradictory in respect of
both. IN some instances personal con-
has appeared TO be at least highly
probable, while in others it might almost
be excluded.
AS an example OF the latter class, it is
recorded by DR.. Theophilus Thompson
thar, on the ID Of May, 1882, Admiral
Kempenfeldt. who was afterward lost
by the sinking of the Royal George q.
Spithead, sailed from thence with 4
squadron of ships under his command,
peared among the crew of the Goliath,
one of the ships Of the squadron, and the
crews Of the remaining ships were after
wards affected. So many men were rem
dered unfit for duty that the squadron
N-As obliged 10 return into port about
the second week in June, not having had
any communication with the shore in
the interval, and having cruised only be-
tween Brest and the Lizard
ii the disease were one of what is tech
nicauy called long incubation-that is,
one the symptoms of which do not make
their appearance FOR . considerable time
after The exposure to infection-the in
terval between the ID and the Goth OF
MAY, although unusually long even i'll
such a case. might admit of explana-
ton. But one of the most remarkable
peculiarities Of influenza appears TO be
the extreme rapidity of its diffusion and
The manner il which it attacks large
numbers OF people within 4 few hours
Of each other.
Another example. similar to the last,
was furnished by Lord Howe's fleet,
which sailed from England for the
Dutch coast on the 9th of May. To-
wards the end of May the disorder APP
pemed among the crew OF the Rippon,
and, Two lays later. among the crew
of the Princess Amelia. The crews of
other ships in the fleet were affected at
different times. some not until their re-
tlru- toAeJsmouth in the second week
OF Julie. This fleet, like that of Admiral
kempenfeidt, had no communication
with the shore after leaving Portsmouth
until it reached the Downs on its return.
about the Sd or 4th Of June.
An equally remarkable instance OF an
opposite kind was observed during the
epidemic Of 1881, when the maladv is
first mentioned Is having been prevalent
in Lisbon and among the merchant ship
ping II Portuguese and Spanish ports
during the month of January. Early in
February il appeared in the Russell, an
English man-ot-war, then at anchor il
the Tagus. and the first man attacked
had been exposed the greater part of the
day in & boat and on shore. The disease
rapidly spread and affected eighty-four
Of the crew. In the same year the Cano-
pus, with $50 men. after three years of
service on the Mediterranean station, left
Malta on the 1st Of January, and, after
having stopped twenty-four hours at
Gibraltar and part Of the dayat BARGE
Iona, reached Plymouth sound on the 1st
Of february. The weather was cool and
wet. and influenza was prevalent on
shore. vet the crew continued in perfect
healCnGntif l,,t ij5t;l, when the epidemic
struck down two-thirds Of the crew.
In March the disease reached such a
height al Barcelona that business was
almost entirely suspended, and in April
the crew of the Childers We're effected
three or four days after she left that
place. She arrived at Gibraltar. and
next day obtained assistance from the
Jasseur 10 weigh anchor. on account OF
the weakness Of her own crew. On the
18th the disease broke out on the Jas.
seur, the first man affected having been
one Of the relief party, so as 10 render 1t
highly probable that his illness had been
due TO contagion.
Notwithstanding that instances SINH
lar to those last quoted h not been
very uncommon. the balance OF proba-
bility is certainly opposed to the belief
that contagion furnishes the ordinary
mode Of spreading the disease. Many
attempts have been made, in successive
epidemics and in different countries, to
frame hypothesis which mig with
some show of reason be held TO afford an
explanation Of the facts, but these ef-
forts have in no instance been entirely
successful. The question Of temperature
can hardly be considered important IL
the case of a InaIady which has prevail
in Russia during the winter. and, appar-
entity bv direct extension. in Venice and
other Italian towns during the subse-
ouent spring and summer.
The authorities are very generally
agreed in asserting that influenza years
have been sicklv years in other respects,
and that contagious feyers, measles,
smallpox and other maladies have fire.
ouently preceded or followed the less
serious epidemic. This fact, if fact it be,
docs not in the least tend to expel the
obscurity BY which the whole question is
surrounded: because we have learned &c
regard each one Of the maladies in cues
ion as the outcome Of 1 specific conta-
zion. as capable Of reproducing itself,
and itself only, and hence as standing i'll
no conceivable casual relation to the
others. unless, perhaps, that all alike
might be rendered more severe by the
prevalence Of general unsanitary condl-
tons, or by incidence upon commune
IN many members Of which were weak
ened by recent illness Of another kind
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