Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-06
Written for The Evening Star.
THE GRIP AND WASHINGTON.

Some Observations on the Epidemic and
Wa-hington's Comparative Immunity.
Epidemic influenza has always been a fash
ionable malady No matter what the aiment
is or the indIsposition that follows errors in
habit diet or mode.of living the languid patient
exelaims. Il have the grip" Many from per-
sonai experience know what it is in feeling. but
not even the doctors can yet tell the nature of
this visitor that regularly appears at certain
seasons of the year. We know what the mani
festations are but these are SO different in diff
ferent individuals and different localities that
SO far 1t has been found impossible to classify
the disease as we do other diseases that are SO
marked in individual characteristics.
Each year in the past three years has dis
closed new symptoms manifestations in the
so-called epidemic influenza At times 1t al
most seems that q new disease il IN the process
OF formation. to settle down after a time into
fixed results, so that the profession classify
u as In the case of measles, diphtheria, typhoid
fever. &c. So protean are the manifestations
IN this modern influenza or grip that the most
skilled cannot decide which of half dozen
OF well-known complaints the patient Is about
to be attacked with. The symptoms of dIph-
liberia, tonsiiitis, pneumonia, meningitis and
AMI even smallpox llapIear among many of the
first symptoms OF this modern epidemic The
suddenness of the attack, the multiplicity and
variability of the symptoms and the amount of
nervous depression out of all proportion to the
physical trouble. and a more tardy coEva-
lescence than any other disease OF like apparent
severity, seem to indicate new disease. differ
ing in the main from all the manifestation of
the so-calied epidemic influenza or lie grippe of
the French authors. Washington city and the
surrounding localities seem to be more exempt
from the serious features of this epidemic than
other localities north and west OF u.s. There is
reason for this, to which | will again revert.
But this epidemic gets the credit. uni Justly, for
being the cause of all, Or nearly all,
the fatal maladies that occur at this sea-
son of the year. Yet diphthcria, pneumonia,
quick consumption, brain troubles, debility
from old age, &C., take off their victims yearly
even when no one has noticed an epidemic in
huenza. 1t is easy diagnosis for the physician
to say: This Is a case of grip" So it is a
fact that many patients so to their graves as
grip victims. the relation of it to the fatal
disease being as remote as the relation of con-
sumption to whooFlnG cough. Yet still it can
Eot be denied that during the prevalence of the
epidemic many inyalids have succumbed to
attacks of pneumonia, diphtheria or brain fever
covered. All epidemics find their easiest vic
tins among those already diseased or whose
vital forces are weakened as to readily admit
the unwelcome visitor.
THE GRIP N NEW YogK.
In New York city during this winter the cpl
demic seems to have. shown a clean-cut nature
or individuality. First, a fever, lasting from
twenty-four hours to two weeks. associated with
acute muscular pains. attended with gastric
cat;!rrh and disturbance of the whole nervous
system, stimulating sclerosis disease of tho
SPINAL cord. Even TIE nerves of special sense
OF eye and ear were seriOusi Y affected. Insom-
MA. melancholy and suicidal mania were the
manifestations in the sevcrer cases. and in all
cases reported the nervous pro5tration was out
II 81
the fever. If the patient recovered
1t was through SLOW conyaiescence, slower
than from any other known disease.
No one now questions the germ theory Of all
diseases. microscopes are now searching for
the epidemic influenza bacillus, but it has
not been yet ipdivIdualized; but when dis
covered it will be found that he is a vigorous
wriSgler, hOurishing best in the mean temper
atures of the coolest weather of winter. or say
from the freezing point SO degrees to zero Fahr-
enheit Above the freezing point and below
zero do no. seem TO be favorable to the pro-
duction OF this epidemic influenza germ. If
this be correct then the greatest
energy is shown to be confined to
the territory north of Washington
city and reaching TO Canada DIV obserya-
tons this winter CLEANED from the newspapers
and the neurology of the people within this
latitude leads to THIS conclusion, but more data
may be required to confirm it, Certain is it
that the ravages of the disease anu Its fatality
Dttu STtdtSE lulS latitude tQdQ
elsewhere during the present winter.)
wAsHISG-oS's EEALTHFULNEss.
At any rate Washington city and its surround
ings have been wholly exempt from the severer
types OF the disease as evidenced in other cities
north and northwest of U.s. There must be
some cause for this. But under all conditions
oil disease Of any type Washington is a healthy
city and its geographical position NAV be one
OF the greatest reasons for the immunity from
all diseases. An editorial in tie New York
Tribune o. last week states 1T is generally re-
marked that the influenza on Its present tour
IS more deadly than when first this gen.
Grafton made its acquaintance The great
names alone added recently to the obituary
list show formidable array of grip
victims, and the present severe weather
is likely to swell the roll. The record of tie
last century's visitation, when the influenza was
epidemic for ten years at time is not en-
cOuraging To us in view OF the greater severity
of this visitation. While, however, N panacea
Is offered even By the most eminent PHI sicians
II is well to remember that the utmost care of
the general health and extra precaution agains.
exposure increase the Chances, ii not of abso-
lutte immunity, at least OF successful resist
ance."
The advice here given, although this city may
sun continue to be exempt from the severer
forms OF the disease, should not be forgotten
by the many readers OF The STAR. ]. L. II.