New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-21
rrr TUBOpy or THE GRIPPE


is the mystery which surrounds it. Thus far 1t
has resisted all the many attempts which nave
been made to diagnose it. For several years IL
has RACED with moro or less severity in many
portions of the world, and yet II Is safe 10 say
that to-day there are as many conflicting oplnlohs
as to what causes it and as to what It's essential
character is as there are trustworthy cures FOR
an ordinary cold. In the circumstance, one
who has any light n throw upon the grippe Is
sure 70 commend the grateful attention Of the
public.
4 correspondent of 1.-THE Rochester Demo
Graf" writes 70 mention that he thnkS-hc Is
modest abomt it, he does not pretend to be
automatically certain-that he thinks no may
have hit upon the true theory OF the grippe
Further researches may establish that THIS theory
needs amendment or revision or oven rejection :;
but the fact remains that up to date it IS on tho
whole as satisfactory as any OF the other grippe
theories, while in point of ingenuity and novelty
il leads them all The correspondent would
seem TO he what Truthful James calls "a scion
tifc gent" lie is, his letter shows, student
of that sun-spot theory of storms which as
we all know. THE Democrat has champtned
with 20 much ability and persistence ana the
grippe as he comprehcnds it--tcna1vely COM
plehends it-resembles the storms OF earth IN
that it also is produced "by causes entirely out
side of this world" Of ouls. Promising that
astronomers hold there is In space guam
tity of the material Of which worlds are formed,
he thus unfolds his theory:
Three times now, for three years in succession has
the grip made rs appearance at widely separator
points and about the same time IN the year. aud when
I'M a =
Vow is It not probable that the EARTH in is revolution
abound the snn has at those three different times
about a year apart passed through quantity OF thh
matter which is floating In space in gaseous ioFI'
but in such au attenuntcd condition as 10 produce 10
pcrcepbe resistance 10 the ear IN rs passage aong
t. and that this gaseous matter became mixed WIN
our atmosphere and which when taken into the lungs
with The air We breathe has been the Of this
disease which ~ extensively afflicted the people 81 this
world Like Other eccteTous and poisonous ghscs
which arc found in the atmosphere, This IN tno would
enter into combination With Other substances. forming
harmless compounds. and when this takes place i's
effects cease and tho disease disappears
AS we have remarked, this Is an ingenious
and novel theory. TO accept it il 10 give the
grippe a certain romantic distinction, as 1t were,
such as ~ other disease possesses. In The Old
DAYS lunacy, as its name implies, was pop
uarly supposed to be a oontag0n Of the moon
while some students OF the contcmponncous
pup contend that ID Is the bright shining OF tho
moon at which he bays which produces nervous
exhaustion and rabies In sensitive dog. But
these theories of lunacy and hydroph0bla are
commonly rejected, 50 tho grippe is the only
disease 40 far as we know which is produced
"by causes entirely outside the world'-assum-
ing of course, that it is produced by such causes
Before leaving his theory the correspondent.
proceeds to strengthen il by anticipating n pos
sible objection 10 IL and demolishing the obicc-
ton. The objection is: "If this theory Is cor
rect the grippe should always havo prevailed
at this season of the year" The correspondents
answer is, in effect, that the a1rth may not have
net with this cxtraneous matter until recent
". owing 70 Astronomical circumstances not
under It's own control, and that" when the matter
shall have passed on into space, and when the
earth shall again make i's annual revolution
without meeting il, then We shall be again free
from the visitation Of the grip" What could
be more plausible than that? What better cal
culated, taken in connection with what goes be-
fore, TO warrant the modest boast with which the
letter concludes: "ThiS, OF course, is only a
theory and is NOT susceptible Of proof, but it
seems TO me more satisfactory than anything
have seem? Next,