The times., 1898-12-22
THE GRIP IS EPIDEMIC
A Great Demand for the Fam.
lily Physician.
THOUSANDS ARE AlLING
Unfayorable Weather Conditions =
Eight Per Cent of the Police Force
Hl-PrOmincnt Men Attacked = De-
partment Store Forces Depleted
Important Facts About Influenza.

| in Washington For the first time in
| nearly decade, the malady has pros
| trated very considerable proportion of
the entire population of the city, and
the public is beginning to feel alarmed.
The word grip" is again on the public
lip. Those who are not suffering within
the dread grasp of the grim disease. are
fearful lest they be the next stricken.
The local list of grip patients numbers
several thousand. and with the present
disagreeable and unfavorable weather
conditions, there is little prospect of any
decrease in the near future. Physicians
say they never were so busy, while drug
gsts rub their hands, and smile at the
sudden boom in the quinine trade Almost
everybody is coughing and sneezing. In
some cases whole families are sufferers.
Many Policemen Ill.
Eight per cent of the Metropolitan po-
lice force is down with the disease. The
wet damp, murky night air of the past
fortnight has gone against the patrolmen
nightly and those who have escaped
it's evil effects congratulate themselves
and sympathize with their less fortunate
brothers.
Secretaries Hay and Long were unable
to attend the Cabinet meeting yesterday.
They have the grip. Assistant Secretary
Allen, of the Navy Department. is a VIC
tim. Justices Bingham and Cox, of the
Supreme Court OF the District, have been
i'll since Monday.
| Grip is generally conceded to be an in
fectious and contagious disease, due to the
influenza bacillus. But doctors disagree
on this point. In cases of grip, or infiu-
enza, it is claimed, this organism
is present in secretions OF the
nose throat and bronchial tubes.
to person through the taking in of these
organisms, either from direct contact or
after the secretions have become dry and
pulverized, and are inhaled in the form
of dust 1t is stated that the disease can
not be produced by any other cause than
the influenza bacillus.
Improperly Dingnosed.
Many catarrhal affections of the respira-
tory tract are improperly called grip For
this reason II is often difficult to tell the
milder forms. The real article is a much
more serious affection. 1t produces a
greater depression. A more tedious con-
valescence follows. The malady spreads
| are affected because of a lack of definite
diagnosis and laxity, or indifference, in
the matter Of isolating patients. The rec
ords of the health office have nothing to
show just how prevalent the disease may
be owing to the fact that provisions are
not made to combat II as is the case with
contagious diseases like smallpox diph-
iberia and scarlet fever. No deaths have
yet been recorded.
symptoms of the Grip.
Influenza starts with chills. WHICH are
followed by slight rise of temperature,
pains in the head. bronchial irritation and
troublesome cough These symptoms
are accompanied by muscular pains and
general lassitude. In the more severe
forms the patient is forced to take to his
bed. In milder cases the victim may at
. tend to his daily work. but only under
great stress of suffering.
He or she is harassed by cough
bronchial irritation and intermittent
headaches. There is a Constant source
of danger in large Office buildings and
all places where large number of per-
sons use the same towel
Influenza or grip made its appearance
: here in 1889. 1t had been prevalent for
some time in Europe. which it had in
! vaded from the direction of Russia. In
. | that country il was said to have come
!. from the East, and IL is stated that it is
| eplutInlC ODlId dloIiB tft VI
the Yellow River, where there are fire.
/ quent foundations, and where ii is looked
!. upon as a marsh fever.
!. The last pernicious epidemic was in
!. lSiS. forty years before, and it therefore
: descended in 1889 upon n new generation,
! which had no opportunity to become I'M
]: mune from it. Consequently the first
|. onset in 1883 was severe. Since 1881, when
!. there was a second and more fatal onset.
| he nf IA
{ gradually declining.
I The Health Report.
. The weekly health report issued by the
!. District health office yesterday makes no
/. mention of the epidemic. 1t follows:
!. There were lis deaths in the District
q during the past week, as compared with
/, 119 in the week before. OF those who died
!. II were white and a colored. The annual
+ death rate for each 1000 of the whole
! population was 21.6e, that for the whites
O being 1928 and for the colored 27.54.
!. 'The deaths from diseases of the .ner-
!. vous system numbered Is, the same as by
+ the last report; those from heart affec-
q tions rose from to .; and from those oi
&. the kidneys from 5 to II. There was de
J. cline of in the mortality of consump
!. ton. and an increase of In acute lunf
1 diseases, of which 10 were from pneu
= monia There We're fatal cases of diph
: iberia and l of typhoid fever.
"At the close of last report there wer,
122 cases of diphtheria under treatmen
r in SO premises. During the week 35 new
IN cases occurred and Al were relieved from
!. quarantine. leaving 116 cases in isolation
- in s4 premises.
ce "Of scarlet fever there were 129 case
t. in quarantine in ia premises. The nev
IN cases reported during the week numbere,
H. 80, and Al were discharged, leaving IL
-, cases and 1O9 premises with warnin:
cards
ed 1.-The mean weather conditions prevail
Z. ing during the week were: Barometri
lie pressure, 3o.o9; temperature of the air. 2
se degrees, and relative humidity 81. Tn
r rainfall was 20 of an inch, with souther
n. ly winds averaging miles per hour an,
Id reaching 16 miles per hour on the 18th
ne The thermometer registered u degree
n: on the 14th. rising TO 49 degrees on tn
g: 18TH
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l. The Methodist Church Cnsc.
Y; The case against the Methodist Churcl
Ia South. which caused considerable heate,
e. discussion in the Senate at the last ses
:. sion, was acted on yesterday by the Sen