The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1895-12-11
LIE oRlP.

Ia Havases Have Exceeded Those Of
Any Cholera Epidemic
II has long been a familiar fact
that a large class Of dangerous dis
cases. Ia their methods OF multiplied.
tion and development. strongly sug-
gost some sort Of kinship with leAven
or yeast The name zymotlc, when
has been given to them. Is from the
Greek wori zyme, and means a fer.
ment OF loayen. When IL was dis
covered that leavcn owes its peculiar
powers TO a minute microscopic
plant the suggestion was carried
eth further. and gave rise to what
is snowp as the germ theory Of dis.
ease.
Of course. only zymotio diseases
are embraced In such n theory, says
Tho Popular Science Monthly. One
NJ the most characteristic OF these
diseases Is the well-known epidemic
tpandemlcl malads. Ia grippe. Tbs
appropriate French title Is acquired
from the rapidly and ilrmness with
which u Is ablo 10 seize or grip its
victims No less suggestive Is the
German nams Of "bliz catarrh. ="
ar tho English and American Of
epidemic bronchitis" and epidemic
caiarrh Tho Italians Of the
soventeonth century. believing Il due
80 tho evil influence OF malignant
stars. gave II the less appropriate
little OF 'inauenza
II Ia quite natural TO conclude that
hecEaso q disease Is contagious II Is
therefore due 10 microbes So far.
however, the proof is lacking Of the
truth Of such an inference. Il isa
singular fact that most ~ the dis
eases. the contagious character Of
which Is unquestlonablc. yet lack
convincing proof OF their bacterial
origin. while some Of those not be-
lore suspected Of being contagious
have been demonstrated as due 20
ibis cause. In ia grippe no new mi.
crobo can be found that Is invariably
present In any stage II the disease.
such germs as do appear In the
sputum or organs arc well.known
iorns predominant among which
arc the diplococous pneumonia OF
fraenkol and Wolchseibaum and
streptococcus pyogncs. Professor Rib.
bert THINKS that these streptOcocous,
by gaining added yirulence through
some changed conditions OF the at.
nospherc. Is the most likely cause.
and ho ioels quite confident that Il
at least produces complications.
The pfossn6e OF llplococcus In 20
iargo g number Of eases may account
Dor the IRE luent alta KS OF pueumo.
nis that follow this disease.
10 l. estimated that the last cpl
donnie Of la grippe killed far moro
people. on It's direct attack. than tho
worst epidemic we have ever had OF
the dreaded Aslatic cholera Those
manned for life by it, attack. or
brought at a later date to an untimely
grave by It's indirect consequences.
would materially swell It's majority.
W. taking worklngmen from their
employment Il took millions OF dol.
lars thoir wages n m them and
~ checking production 10 an equal
extent lowered the wealth Of the
natioa.
Few diseases have so high a total
death rate owing 10 tie large number
~ its victims Reckonod by per-
coutage. Il being but twl per cent.
10 makes a poor IA wing as com.
pared with cholera and lts fifty per
cent bat In actual agures Il Ia alarm
ingly high In some regions IL Is
more fatal than others In Iceland
the death rate, when compared with
numbers attacked ran higher than
IN any other country. This disease
not only raises the death rate when
present 10 a region. but IL keeps
10 up FOR months afterward ana
leaves tho community II has visited In
an unusually depressed condition OF
health. II attacks every age and
condition Of life. and seems 20 have
a peculiar Partially for he deblll.
iaiod and weak.