Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-13
SOME TECHNICAL POINTS.


DR.. E. A. Mundorf Discusses La Gripps
From n Scientific sIandpOint-He Re-
Iates His Own Experience With the
Disease-It is Catarrhal Fever.
There is a peculiar diversity of opinion
as to what name should be attributed to the
disease with which humanity generally is
now afflicted. Even the physicians dis
agree. Some call it the Russian grip. while
others say it is ''oDly influenza" o.
course to the afflicted it isn't much dif.
ference what the disease is called. The
most of them know when they get it, and
are usually thankful when they get nd
of it.
DIR. E. A. Mundorf, of the Southside, who
has been confined to his home for about two
weeks with an attack of the so-called la
grippe, gives some interesting statements
about the disease, its technical term, svmp-
toms and effects. To DISPATCH man he
said last night:
There is wonderful misapprehension Of
the terms la grippe and influenza, even
among the physicians, who either talk with
out thinking or do not know any better. La
grippe and influenza are without any dis
tlnct meaning in medicine. The proper
term is catarrhal fever, and la grippe or
lnhuenza is known as an epidemic catarrhal
fever. Both terms are simply the terms
OF the common speech of the people during
those earlier periods of the visitation of the
disease before scientific medicine had settled
on its physiology.
''As it Is essentially a catarrhal trouble,
and for its present spread must depend upon
the physical and climatic changes, it shows
itself in the same phase in almost any quar-
ter of the globe. The question as to
whether la grippe or influenza could have
spread from Europe to the United States so
recently, may readily now be answered in
the affirmative. Our transatlantic vessels
convey small city of people on each trip,
which can be made in seven days. When
the epidemic occurred in 1847 the facilities
for rapid transit across the Atlantic were
not so we'll developed.
What is known as the Russian grippe
is not disease which manifests unio ue or
strange symptoms during its course, as some
seem to infer from the terms applied to it.
1t is the same epidemic catarrh that ap-
peared in the north of Italy not only in the
middle ages, but periodically, so late as
1847. Among the marked symptoms not
generally noted is sense of chilliness al
ternating with heat, which is a general
symptom throughout the progress OF the
disease. The afa icted experience a dis
tressing headache across one or both
optics and an intense pain in
the balls of the eyes. The symptoms in
crease toward nightfall. The tongue be-
comes coated and distinct metallic taste
gathers In the mouth. In the latter stages
blood flows from the nose of character that
will leave purple stain on white cloth.
81 have just related my own experience,
and, although was too i'll to make an an
alysis, submitted some of the blood to the
microscope and found the white blood cells
considerably increased in numbers, while
here and there the red cells were surrounded
by minute miorococci Stationed through
it we're masses of bacilli, which NAV not
have had any special physiological relation
to the disease.
cas- to whether it is germ, Letzerich, a
Partisan authority, considered influenza or
la grippe micosis of the blood caused BY
micrococci, and is consequently a germ
which floats in the air,
Captain, Richard Wilson, of the ALLIE
gheny police force, who has been confined
to his home since last Thursday evening
with an attack of influenza, is growing bet
ter. His many friends hope to see him out
very soon.
Edward M. Rook has been for few DAYS
confined to his house. at the East End, with
the fashionable epidemic. He is doing
well, and will be around in day or two.