The morning call., 1892-01-30

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corner has been turned, and that the annoy
ing epidemic is at last about 20 leave rs.
Grip d.d its deadly work through three
weii-known pneumonia, c0nges-
ton of the lungs, which is a form Of pneu-
mona, and bronchitis. To the two former
1g4 deaths, nearly a fourth Of the total
mortality, were due in December. 1t was
not an unhealthy month; there was no eX-
cessiye cold OF moisture; people died Of the
disease simply, ithout aTgravatjOn from
atmospheric or eXtraneOus causes. A pa
tent took the epidemic with the usual
symptoms headache pain in the back and
bones, and irritation Of the mucous men,
branes If the throat and air passages. These
were followed by Inflammation, which
spread to the lungs; the vessels became
engorged and the cells filed with matter
the system did not appear @ have vitality
enough 10 restore ordinary circulation. or 10
lower the temperature Of the organs. at
tackled, and death ensUed. All kinds Of new
remedies were tried, apparently without
such general success a. would warrant their
adoption q. soeeacs.
AZ :-aly h2peas In pulmonary affec-
Zone. t.5 @xf1 proved .ess able to re5.s the
u4-ssy ~ tie y1lug. TIE recuperative
D.Nef le.ss H..l Erars- OF ~ deaths
fro" s, a.,als. 10 we're 81 persons over
e. al9 ~ ~ ysr,0ns under that age ,
81 -eat.s we're those ~ pars0ns over 60. Of
t.e y, caa.as under 80 Is were those If In
taats lH1er 2, Who probably really died #
~ . which settled Oh the lGugs, and Of the
- deaths ascrbed 70 bronchitis II were
those Of infants under year, whose deaths
should probably be classed under the same
head. When an epidemic Of grip p. eyails
every cold Is charged to its account.
The reader OF the vast mass Of dissarta-
lions which are appearing on the subject of
grip in medical ana professional jour
nails arises from their perusal about as wise
as be was II is the fashion nowadays to
ascribe all diseases TO the malignant agency
Of bacillus. and, accordingly, doctors say
they have discovered and diagnosed the
bacillus of grip. The abOminable insect
lies dormant in the throat and fauces until
certain conditions rouse him 70 activity,
when be proceeds to effect a Judgment in the
bronchial tubes or in the lun itself, and
pursues his deadly work. This may all be
true. No one knows. 1t might perhaps not
he asking too much Of the professional be-
| levers in the bacillus of grip that they
should describe the animal, and tell US how
he is to be overcome and expelled from the
system. That the doctors have not done
Until they do the bacterial theory will be
merely the substitution Of one word for an
other.
1t appears to be clear that grip in the
epidemic form differs from other epidemic
diseases In that it cannot be guarded against
by quarantine or isolation, like cholera or
smallpox or diphthera We cannot send
every one who has a cold in his head to the
Pesthouse; nor is the cOntagi0usness Of
grip sufficiently well demonstrated TO
Justify the Board of Health in closing
houses where patient is lodging In re-
gard to grip, we have got to fall back
| upon the formula Of the ancient doctors
VINO, when a patient living over an open
sewer died Of typhoid fever. reported that
the deceased had been carried off by the
visitation Of God. Possibly, as science ad-
yances, doctors may discover a general
cause for an epidemic Of grip; they may
find that a MOI bifc principle, perhaps Of
bacillary nature, permeates the air, and is
carried by the winds from st. Petersburg to
San Francisco. When they do we may