Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-02-06
THE NEW GRIP.
What a Phyaician Says of the
Disease.

The New York Times saws the pre-
sent visitation Of the grip is being at
tended by symtoms decidedly differ-
ent, in many cases, from those that
characterized this disease during any
OF the years in the decade since it
was introduced from Russia.
Many physicians have noticed. in
their practice, new symptoms, and
the subject is to be considered by the
county medical society at its next
meeting at the Academy of M Medicine,
In New York.
Speaking on the subject one of the
best known scientists and physicians
in New York-a man with an exten-
sive practice-said: 1.-THE grip this
year seems to affect, the serous MEM
brances-that is, the tissue which in
vest and cover the different vital
organs of the body. When the grip
attacks the spinal cord and brain it
produces meningitis, when it attacks
the lungs it produces pneumonia,
when it affects the intestines it
causes peritonitis, and when it af-
fects the membranes covering the
joints it leads to what is generally
called rheumatism.
1T seems that the left side of the
body is usually more affected than
the right side.
From the inflammation of the
membranest the disease is continuous,
and affects the organs which they
invest. Particularly is this the case
with the lungs, in which event pneu-
monia develops when apparently all
other symptoms have disappeared.
The grip, when it has advanced thus
far, is severe, and must receive
prompt attention.
''The grip this winter is unusually
prevalent, and when it attack the SER
ous membranes it is distinctly conta-
gious. One person NAV get the dis
ease by coming in direct contact with
another person who is suffering from
the same.
''Cold weather will undoubtedly do
much to abate the disease, but it's dis
tinctly contagious properties will pre-
vent the full measure of the good
which would otherwise be promptly
afforded by the lowering of the tenn
perature and the clearing of the sky.
"The new grip, of course, attacks
the weak sooner than the strong, but
even the healthy are liable to con-
tract it through contagion.
''The thing for the people to do is
to observe the first symptoms of the
grip. Whenever the peculiar rheu-
matte pain is felt in the arm, or at the
base of the skull, the person should
stay in bed, or in warn room, and
should take hot drinks, such as hot
water, hot tea, or hot lemonade, and
he should avoid all alcoholic stimu-
lants, and eat very slimly, toast pre-
ferred.
''In particular, alcohol Isl a positive
posion in case of grip which attacks
the serous membranes. Those who
are not accustomed to drink alcoholic
beverages suffer less than those who
are habituated to their use.
''The disease lasts usually six days,
reaching crisis on the seventh day.
l have seen the grip germ affect differ
ent members of the same family diff
ferently this winter. One child, for
instance, will be afflicted with symp-
toms of meningitis, another with
those of pneumonia, and still another
with congestion of the kidneys.
when the grip developes into
the disease spreads
rapidly and covers a large area of
lungs. The period of incubation is
from one to five days.
Recovery is unusually on the sixth
day if there are no complications. A
high ratio of fatalities attends the
attack of the grip on the kidneys.
should mention that the grip this
winter shows a decided tendency to
affect the lining of the kidneys and
then the kidneys themselves, thus
often ending in fatal congestion of |
those organs. The congestion of the
kidneys leads to the congestion of
the lungs.