The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-30
La GRIPPE
BREAKS OUT.
Upwards of Two Thousand
Cases in Topeka.
Tt is the Genuine Malady and
Not a Cold.
Always Accompanied by Severe
Aches and Pains.
DOCTORS POWERLESS
To Suggest a Preventative for
1t.
But Recommend Certain Drugs
IN A1IaViafo If
Always Accompanied by Sever
Aches and Pains.
DOCTORS POWERLESS
To Suggest a Preventative for
1t.
But Recommend Certain Drugs
to Alleviate It.

The epidemic of grip has reached To-
pel1a and during the last few days has
assumed alarming proportions.
In every store and office from one to
a dozen employees are sick with the dis
ease.
The advice given by physicians to
avoid the disease is, not to be over
worked. to keep in good general health
and not to indulge in excuses and to
keep away from persons who are an
fected. for grip is pronounced an in
fictitious disease originating from a
germ.
The cases in Topeka number fully
1000 and every physician and the drug
Bists have been kept busy filling pre-
scriptions of caIomel, phenacetine, qui-
nine, saloI and similar drugs. plaster
now and then is used. One drug store
filed over Is prescriptions for grip yes
terday.
troubled with grip have aches and
pains. The epidemic seems to be spread
ing and shows no preference for any
class of people, but is in all parts of the
city. 1 do not imagine Topeka will
have as much trouble with the disease
as has been experienced in the larger
cities. The disease is of a limited dura-
ton. The only preventative is to keep
good habits and go to bed early. Coal
tar preparations will relieve the suf
ferers."
Dr. c. F. Meninger said: 1.-THE cpl
demic seems to be quite general. The
trouble seems to be mostly in the head
and feVers and Inflammation are the
result. The only advice I can give as
to preventing the disease is to keep a
cool head and warm feet"
DR.. Q. a. Mcclure said: Il do not
believe there is as much lung trouble
connected with this epidemic as at
other times. There is but one proven
tative and that is to avoid overtaxing
ones strength
DR.. r. E. Buckmaster said: There
Is certainly a great deal of grip in town.
It seems to be genuine grip and not
simply colds. When it takes hold of a.
person it comes with a vengeance while
it lasts"
The average number of cases reported
by physicians is Is, and with 40 doctors
this means over 1000 cases in the city.
In the public schools the epidemic had
not appeared to any marked. degree be-
fore the vacation commenced last week
Grip, as 1T has been AngliciSed, is well
known in every country. In France it is
known as ia grippe" the Latin term
is febris catarrhalis; in Sweden it is
known as remfsjunka, and the Chinese
call it Qual-tOng.
A medical authority says that grip
is an acute self limited Infectious
fever occurring in widely distant cpl
denies and characterized by catarrhal
Inflammation of the respiratory and
gastro-intestinal mucous membranes, by
profound nervous disturbances and by
extreme debility"
Grip has been known a great many
years. Hfppocrates refers to it as an
epidemic that occurred in 412 B. G. An
epidemic started in Italy in S27 and
spread over Europe. In S76 Char
lemagne's victorious army on their re-
turn from Italy was overtaken with the
disease and history says greatly dis
comfOrted." No more was heard of the
disease for 200 years. In 1887 the first
epidemic was brought from Asia to
America. and the second in 1S47 The
last and most fatal was in 1889 when the
disease started in Paris, spread to Rus
STA and to New York and rapidly
spread over the entire United States.
In January, 1889, the deaths in New
York mum bered S54.
The present epidemic may be as bad
as the one of 1889 as it seems to be
raging in all the larger cities. All who
are infected are not confined to their
homes.
In the Kansas avenue stores the dis
ease seems to rage the worst and in
some places half the employees are sick.
One physician had twelve calls yester-
day afternoon and another had sixteen,
which in all cases proved to be grip.
Grip appears in three FORMS" said
Dr. B. D. Eastman, the nervous, res
piratory and CASTRO Intestinal The diff
ferent forms are so named on account
of the organs attacked. In many cases
the disease is violent on account of the
pronounced facilitating effect on vital
organs. 1t is often very serious and not
infrequently proves fatal. It is attended
| followed by different diseases and in
| some cases by insanity. When insanity
is the result it is often in the form of
melanchCiia with suicidal tendencies
Muscular weakness which causes heart
failure is a frequent result. A great
deal of i'll health is chargeable to grip
and it often lays the foundation for SER
! iOus disorders of the stomach and
lungs"
So far no deaths have been reported
| on account of the present epidemic in
| Topeka, but several cases are reported
/ that border on pneumonia