New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-20
THE GRIP.
OPINIONS OF PHYSICIANS.
WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD DO IN CASE THEY I'm
- ATTACKED by THE INFLUENZA


eminent authorities were seen yesterday In eurd IA
The probabilities OF general outbreak Of the infuen,,
again this winter The concurrent expression OF ta
majority was TO the effect that al present there ver
numbers Of cases which were undeniably the fp brS
in mder form than the previous vsllatlons o. In
lat two years. Nearly every physician laid emphssis
on tho great good which might be done In essenns Dc
disastrous effects OF epidemic BY the press In no
endesyorng TO attach undue Importance 10 II unless n
outbreak should become alarming for fright or worrv
has decided tendency 10 aggravate the effects on The
tnnld and nervous particularly In the case Of women
And as a depression Of spl It's Is marked symptom d
the disease any evaporation Of the real state Of Attain
would do ncalcusbs harm. The treatment most widely
adopted by all the allopsthic school conss essentially
in putting the patient promptly TO bed, and keeping Inn
there as absolute rest and freedom from exposure have
been found to wo the best results. Any dosing with
drugs is not regarded with favor unless there Is sous
attendant trouble Business who insist IN heepus
engage6nents, in spite Of symptoms OF the grip. viii
do so at risk to themselves for the statistics carefully
collected BY the authorities show that In January snl
February OF 1890 fully nine per cent Of the kt.er
carriers and policemen were attacked and other per-
sons m a similar proportion according to their ex
posurc In Match and May Of the year The
percentage OF even greater IL Is thereors
hoped that there will not be much trouble at presnS
few grains Of quninc ut hrst and small quastiues
of the various coaar preparations are recommendcd
rs being efcacious for the ordinary and uncompicat<
forms but any symptoms Of compiled ions shoah
have prompt treatment by competent physician In
every instance As TO the effects OF the wea her h
the increasing Or lesscning Of lis prevalency and s
means OF It's communication, there exists vide d.
ference OF opinion among those who have given The
subject the best attention.
Dr. James McLane, president OF the College Of Phys
slcians and Surgeons, seen at his home, No. 81
West Thirty eighthst and asked TO give his obssvS
tions So many people are frightened by any rspcs
concerning the mere presence OF the grip he sd.
that their cases are greatly aggravated in conss
onence and so do not the term myself for this
reason aside from the one that Il is applied %
unfortunately as to be Of little value. Recent css
under my care have been number OF persons suffering
from follicular tOnsts, catarTh and influenza MoH
OF these have mild and Of short duration, but a.
tended by some fever and pains in the back. As "
the recurrence OF general at ack such as the one
1850 and 1890 that only be conjectured Tbs
influenza is not contagious, but must be infectious.
from the fact Of whole communities being stricken
at one time. II is also epidemic, In the
sense OF the Greek derivation OF the word.
upon the people" great part OF the trouble may
be attributed 10 the rapid and severe changes Of
temperature and the change Of the winters We do
not have any such cold winters now o. we did twenty
five years ago, and yet there have been little or no
changes made in the methods Of heating houses
the wear whether II IS cold not The influenza 10
is we'll known will intensity other weaknesses par'
fIcuary OF the respiratory tract and for that reason
alone is to be avoided much as posslble-a resun
best attained by those in perfect health
Dr. James Il. Leaning, No. 10 West Thirty.
eghth-st, said "This grip is no new thing There
was an epidemic OF II in 1882 and again In 1sfs but
IL did not appear IRON that time I'LL 1853, 30 there
Is some reason for It's being regarded at each
l Tn
TYLER grip, and that time the cholera followed It ana
IL was supposed that the two diseases were connected
In some way. do not regard the grip as being In.
fections In the that there q speciai
poison to the presence OF WHOM we mnY
ascribe the disease. Efforts, unsuccessful THINK
have been made to make planetary innoeaces
responsible for the recurrence Of The grip.
There is no doubt about this being mildly
prevalent causing and attending the various forms
of throat troubles DeHrium is noticed only " ~
worst attacks Little trouble need be expected NJ
winter" . 80 :.
DR.. william T. Lusk professor in Bellevue xcessa
College, No. AZ East Thirty fourth st. said: "A mn0
large number Of my patients have suffered In ne ,"
two weeks from what might have been called The pip
had not the recoveries been rapid. In mon oss1
the persons were sick less than week yet an ID
cned to think that the grip is around In mild form.
What will develop later one can foreteiL 10 u
the cold that kills and this cold weather viii develop
many new cases of influenza. These mild autumns
and open winters are of inestmable value, though
popular belief is to the contrary
Dr. A. Jacob No. 40 West Thirty -fourth<t.. said:
"The weather has no effect at all upon the gip mas
I can see. 1t is Just as prevalent at one tine
another and seems TO attack all classes Of persons
with equal severity. Yes, it is prevalent, but In
milder form than the recent epdemics but can
give no figures showing how pievalnt II u. Ihero
are few cases going into the hospitals now Inc
grip is both contagious and Infectious
Dr. Francis Deadeld, No. 1o West Thirty seconds,
thought that the grip had certainly come again. fos
was first observed in private practice and then grsau'
ally showed itself in the hospitals, which report rev
cases this last week.
"Yes,' he said, al should say that Il was certslnv
here In mild FORM What We are about TO ex-
perence is only matter Of judgment founded OH eA.
peience and that warrants nothing but the belief as
the epidemic will act II has before. though the eas
| observed this week yield readily to treatment
Dr. L. L. Seaman, No. 1S West Thlrty-frstst, said
The cases in my practice Just now are charaeen1oa
by considerable mallgnancy, and followed by nouce
ably speedy recovery. There to be no particular
immunity any one, and those who have had Attacks
in previous years having IT again. one LADY anu
gentleman who have had 1t twice before are suffering
from IL again There IS some danger Z" ."
epidemic, and in that event / apprchend that 'ns
consequences would be Whether or not thefs
Is wave which sweeps around the globe cannot DO
stated with any certainty, but there was very eA
tensve outbreak In China during the summer, ana no"
it appearing here again. From particular Army po'
on the frontier, which came under my observation !"
can be said that among these Of unusually roous.
health and constitution, the consecutN attacks
pneumonia fatal in 80 per cent more Of the csS
than is usual among men OF average health sns
strength. -
"The treatment Is now better understood BY ,he
profession in general, and attack wond be hano''y
with more intelligence and success than two yeS''
ago. Neither the chemist the microscopes mas
yet discovered the presence Of microbe TO whon @
communication of tbs trouble may be ascrised' % Wv
precise way In which 1t is communicated cannon 10
stated definitely.
at Is now generally admitted by the meuicai ~
fesson that the grip Chinese or Bhtzhatarrr -
nnclac infectious snlf limited disease spreadlng oy