Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-01-29
Where the Grippe Originated.

Inc origin of the grippe, which is now
causing 30 many deaths 10 the United
States. is traced by a correspondent of the
LONDON Tunes, upon what appears to be
probable grounds, to the insanitary condi-
tlons, coupled with famine, produced by
hoods throughout an immense extent CT
tbickly-inhabited country in Eastern Asia
about two years ago. The great flood in
the province of Honan, China, caused. it
will be remembered. by the bursting Of the
banks of the Hoang Ho or Yellow river,
spread over an area of about 4 700 600 acres
and caused loss of life from dro wning esti
mated at from one to seven millions. In
October, 1885, the new embankment, con-
strucsed at enormous cost, was swept away
by summer flood, inundatng a second
time vast extent of low-lying fertile land.
Later in the same year there were terrible
Hoods in Manchuria, impoverishiDg hun
dreds of thousands and producing, as re-
ported at the time. much illness and fever.
The effects of the Hoang Ho food we're
specially disastrous. During the summer
of 1889 there was great distress 10 the to xns
and villages elevated above the plain and
spared by the food, but deprived of their
means of living, the fertile land having been
covered by the yellow mud brought down
by the swollen river. The great level area
was dried up by the intense summer beat of
this region, but was no longer capable of
supporting largo population. The result
was that the survivors were compelled to
live upon roots, grasses and anything that
could be picked up until relief was progid
ed. While furnishing they were exposed to
the countless millions of organic spores
developed 10 the marshy water of the food
ed area, which must have been thick with
the manure aud refuse of dsuse popula-
| tion. sit would not have been surprising. :"
says the correspondent Of the Times, 'sif
some malarious disease had been strongly
developed in these unnsual conditions. and
the peculiar character of the rich earth from
which the Yellow river derives it's name
| would be- likely to give rise to infective Or
ganisms differing from those common to
marshY districts in tropical and temperate
climates. There appears to be reason for
supposing that the present epidemic of H.
| ffuenza had its sour, 9 in the dried-up sur
| face of the sodden soil Of the province OF
| Honan." The data now at hand suffice to
mark out China or Siberia as the breeding
ground of the disease, but future inquiry
may justify the more exact location here
| suggested. Tue westward course of the
grippe has bsen already to some extent trac-
| ed AS early as Or. Is ic was at Tomek,
1000 miles east Of St. Petersburg By No
vamber Is nearly the whole Of European
| Russia was sffaesed. 10 December it was
il the chief cities Of Western Europe, hav-
| ing been carried, IL apoeats, in letters. par
cas- and articles Of merchandise Being in
teusey Infections it bas spread WITH great
| rapidity by reason, it is thought. of the i'm
proved facilities for travel and transporta-
ton Of goods at the present day. com
parison Of the datss Of former epidemics
aud Chinese floods indicaFes the causal re
lation above suggested. The Epidemic of
influenza in Europe in 1928 was preceded
hP great foods in China, WHICH &C urred in
1901. and that of 1915 was preceded by
| the floods of 1918 Whether the epidem
ics of 1903, 1897 and 1S47 were similarly rs.
sociated e1th Chinese iuundations remains
to be ascrrtalned by study of the Chinese
Hood record. The nature of the grippe
poi is, it is held, to ga malarious origin
among ill fed people" Be this as it may,
it did not, it is believed. originate in Europe
or North America.-BaH. Sua