New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-26
THE INFLUENZA'S PHASES.
A DISCUSSION BY LEADING PHYSICIANS.

IRREGULARITIES OF THE DISEASE ELUCIDATED
BEFORE THE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
Endemic influence is a live subject Just now in
spite OF the counterclams OF various topics Of
versauOn, and physicians OF course feel an especial
interest in IT, on this account there was standing
room only In Hosack Hail. in the Academy OF y T.
cine No Il West Forty. thrd-st last night wllel 20
dread disease which has thrown many families in
numerous lands into grief and mourning dis
oussed by tho Medical society of the County OF New
York In the unusually large attendance were half a
dozen women aud many Of New-lorks most eminent
ply sieians. DR.. George H. Fox. preSident OF the
society raped for order at 30 O'Clock, and asked
Dr. T. g. Janeway TO open the discussion by talking
on epidemic Influenza Its Dagnostic Features
DR.. JsneWay spoke first of the difficulty of diagnosing
the di.ease. Take an isolated case Of it," he said
land you could not put 1t into the category of having
fixed characteristics. Take. however, number Of
cases having similar features, and speak Of
them as epidemic influenza" The speaker went
Oh to tell of the various ways in which the
disease manifested itself and showed II To be hydra
headed in its numerous phases conclusion to which
most OF those who have suffered from it will assent.
He told OF the sver lasting from twenty four hours to
two three weeks, which Is sometimes associated with
acute muscular pains of the catarrhal phenomena, in
Guiding gastric intestinal catarrh. and of the pncu
monia and other concomiants OF the disease. He said
that thore tendency In the presence Of the cpl
demc to class ordinary illnesses under that head
Foliculsr tonsilts. pneumonia and meningitis were
Of the diseases sometimes mistaken for Influenza,
and the early symptoms OF smallpox might also be taken
for those of the scourge raging
DR.. +. W. jackson spoke briefly the same subject
and then DR.. X. w. Wilcox continued the discussion
lie said 1t to me that epidemic influenza has
certain marked characteristics which clearly distinguish
II from all other diseases. The first OF these Is the
suddenness OF the attack; the second, the multiplicity
OF the symptoms the third. the variability OF the
tha NJ dem
Of all proportion 10 the physical trouble These make
1t appear to that the disease has clear cut nature
fifth characteristic is the progress OF convalescehcc'
which taIdy than In other diseases OF the same
severity"
Dr. Wilcox believed with Dr. Janeway that some
illnesses Chased with influenza which should really
have some other name. What the speaker said about
the CONSCIOUSNESS Of the influenza was OF
interest. LAS far as direct contagon Is con
oerned," he said, I'VE are As ignorant
as three years ago. We know that the In
nuenza is contagious 10 some extent because we SEQ
cases in which it IS communicated from one member
Of family 10 several Others. We have learned, also,
that the distance through which the contagion travels
is small An account Of the disease II affected tho
patients at St. Thoinass Hospital bears Oh this point
In that Institution there more cases Of it i'll the
surgical wards than In the medical although no
patients known to have it were placed in the surgical
wards. The explanation was that In the medical de-
parments the patients I'm bed for the most part,
and were more or less isolated In the surgical
wards. however. they freer to move around and
to come in contact with one another"
The second division Of the subject, "Epidemlc
Influenza; its Complications and Sequelae7
was discussed first by Dr. ". II. Draper lie thought
that most of the socalled complications of the nfu
cnza really manifestations OF II. lie described
these phases Of the disease. laying stress on the
affections Of the system, including the great
mental depression, which sometimes takes suicidal
form.
Dr. Beverly Robinson described a curious aural com
plcation OF the influenza, in which the patient could
not hear words spoken in ordinary tone but could
hear the ticking Of watch placed at some distance
from his
Dr. T. r. Pooley was assigned by Dr.. Fox 10 speak
OF the eye complications associated with the glp.
Dr. Pooley said that 1t would take him much less time
talk about the diseases Of the eye which were not
thought In the grip sequel of it, than OF
those which had been mentioned as in this category
lie read the long list of affections OF the eye "mch
said to DO due to the influenza, ana SAID nat
much of the writing this subject nonsense; that
the influenza held to blame for many diseases OF
the eye with which it had nothing TO do
DR.. o. D. Poneroy's short talk on the aural com
plcatons Of the influenza was Of rather too technical
nature to be OF interest to lay audience Dr. Lanooh
Carter Gray had for his subject the nervous phenomena
OF the disease lie said that the nervous prostraton
was geieraly sev.se Of all proportion TO the force
o, the fever. There tendency toward spurious
melancholia, in some cases mania, or form OF de-
llum or persistent sleepness. and in one or two In
stances the speaker had observed hslucnatory insanity
IL a symptom.
The grip In children the subdivision OF the sub
Iect upon which DR.. II. D. Chaplin was called on to
speak lie declared that influenza not so com
mon among children among adults. nor was 1t 30
severe In its effects. There was, however, tendency
TO diagnose ~ grip diseases which were entirely dis
tinct from it. The speaker knew Of case in which
fanny Of children had been exposed TO measles for
several days because "a Of that sickness was de-
lared t. be Influenza. - ., $500 ~,
f. Delsfeh. whose subject the third division Of
the topic, 10 VT, Epidemic lnhuenza us treat
ments The speaker was listened TO with much M
erest. lie said 1t will be generally admitted that
there is no specific treatment for epidemic influenza
There Is treatment 10 prevent u ana
Io3e 10 affect It's course, any more thah
Things arc that the patient be kept In bed and be
properly nurscd. There are, however, me iicque,t
complications which do call for our uteIlerence.
Leaving aside the complications which beOng 70 Gb
SPECIALISTS ! will talk OF which come under The
care OF all OF For the headaches and neuf7llglc
pains q number OF drugs are employed. the one most
u,ed being phenscetin. The bronchial affections are
leaied in .lle ordinary way. There is sometimes
tendency 10 congestion OF the lungs To pcvent tls
We should work the circulation giving sHaiS ana
FREQUENT doses of dtas or acOnlte, with stFychhhe
and perhaps alcoholic stimulsns.'
Me hour for adjournment. 10 30 O'Clock. had ar
rived tire rest Of the discussion was posi- pObed uhH
the next meeting.
THEY USED FUSES rs PLAYTHINGS.