St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-24

| has had mortality of per cent; of
the cats, "a per cent. and of the
horses still larger per cent. The
mortality among men is in general
due to complications with other trou-
bles. OF these capillary bronchitis
and pneumonia are particularly apt
to cause death. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to state that bronchitis and
pneumonia are favored by the same
conditions that encourage influenza.
THE GERM THEORY.
1 regard to the germ theory it may
be said that this is still under. dis
cussion. All doctors and scientific
men are not agreed that the dis
ease is caused by germs. There are, it
is true, pathologists who say that
| they have seen the bacilli of grip
and that they are able to propagate
them in certain cultures" Others
| there are sure to be "others" in
any scientific question which cannot
be absolutely answered beyond any
| possibility of doubD, declare that
while the. germ theory may be and
| probably is sound, it has not been
demonstrated,a ,and hence cannot rank
as cold, hard fact.
| Touching this subject of the cause OF
the grip, DR.. William NJ. Draper says:
'It seems evident that the determining
cause of this disease, whatever it may
be, is the one which spends it's force
primarily and directly upon the nervous
re
as rule, been observed in persons of
advanced years and in those who are
enfeebled by previous disease or intem-
| perate habits. The relative mortality
| of the malady has, to be sure, not been
| large, but when we consider. apart
from the mortality which it has caused,
the vast sum of human energy that it
! has destroyed and the check that it
has everywhere put upon the wheels of
human industry, it's effect has indeed
been appalling"
There is one point about the grip which
does not sesn to have attracted the at
tention of physicians to any marked
| degree. There are certain fortunate
persons who appear to enjoy a singu-
lar immunity from it's attacks They
| are not necessarily robust in hsalth nor
| particularly temperate in their habits,
| nor of vigorous constitution. Many of
them are weakly and small Yet, when
ever an epidemic comes along they are
sure to escape. Such individuals are
| accustomed to regard their less fortu-
nate neighbors with a great deal of
surprise and they constitute largely the
class of scoffers who announce solemn
ly that the grip is only a bad cold.
They are unable to comprehend that it
is something much different and de-
cidedly worse.
SYMPTOMS OF GRIP.
The symptoms Of the grip are various
| and sometimes remarkable. One in
teresting case, which occurred in Phil
adelphia during the epidemic of 1893,
was that of a young woman. She was
seized with the prostration which indi-
Gates the approach of the disease, and
in a day or two the grip was fully
developed. She suffered excruciating
pain, and it seemed as though every
nerve in her body had been exposed and
touched by hot irons. Opiates were ad-
ministered in order to relieve the suf-
fering, and when the disease had run
so far that pain was benumbed then
lOllOWtu d lcdCliOu. L i-t
sense of feeling" writes tha physician
who attended the case, land. in fact.
every other sense were as completely
overcome as in the case of sleep.
part of her brain was active, as was
evident from her muttering talk. The
will, judgment and reasoning faculties
were all benumbed, so to speak. and
the young woman was almost literally
in the condition of one who dreams.
There was this difference-she could
not be awakened, as the dreamer can"
| This trancelike condition lasted a week
The explanation is that the frances
are caused by the poisoning of the
blood, which is one of the most dan
gerous results of the grip. The first
manifestation of this poisoning is an
attack on the nerve centers. If the at
tack were confined to the nerves in
one locality, as, for instance. those of
the face or the sciatic nerve, medical
treatment could be applied with good
results. But it is impossible to give
such treatment when the entire nerv-
Gus system has been brought under the
influence of the poison. The only
treatment possible. then, is that which
deadens the pain by the use of opiates,
and when such suffering has passed
away in the course of the disease, to
allow nature to begin its restorative
work, aided by such science as medi-
cine has at its command. Th,. trance
like influence of this poison is not en-
tirely gone until the poison itself has
/ been entirely eliminated from the sys-
TEN.
A CURIOUS CASE.
Hysteria is also caused by the grip.
An interesting cure of a case of this
kind is on record in the medical jour
mails. A woman was brought to the
hospital suffering from grip. On the
evening of her arrival she fell into a
state of hysteria, setting up from time
to time series of unearthly yells
The doctor studied her case with great
thoroughness, and was of the opinion
that grip had caused such weakness of
the woman'S will power as could only
be remedied by natural treatment. He
prescribed a certain dose, which was to
be taken every hour, and then left
Early the next morning he called and
found the patient very hysterical. He
asked the nurse if the prescription had
been given as he directed, and when
told that it had, he said in a very loud
voice: Then there is nothing for me
to do but go away and let her die"
The doctor left. The woman quickly
recovered from her hysteria. jumped
out of bed and went home, declaring
that she was as we'll as anybody. The
doctor pronounced this one of the mys-
teries of the grip.
Black Foxes in Maine
Four black foxes from Alaska were
turned loose on Heron island, Bothbay-
bay harhor. Me-, few days ago in an
attempt to propagate these animals
there for their valuable fur The spe-
cies is rare and the fur commands a
high price. The four are all that
reached their destination of a band OF
hfteen that were shipped from Alaska
in September. Ten died on the voy.
age down to San Francisco. and one
other died before Chicago was reached,
The four that survived We're in good
condition when turned loose on Heron
g1 NNI .