The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-30
WHAT THE GRIP Is.

People who have never been i'm love
are apt To doubt the existence OF that
passion. He jests at scars that never
felt wound" And 50. people who have
never had the grip are inclined TO think
II Is merely new name for a common
cold. one writer playfully suggests
that evidently the thing 10 do is for
every one to become a Christian scien-
list and firmly believe that no such dis
ease as the grip exists The fact is,
however, that the disease has been
known ana described from the time of
Hippocrates. who was born i'm the year
400 h. c.. and though its name has been
changed at various periods. IL has al
ways been form of epidemic catarrh
more or less severe. according To cir
cumsiances declares the Albany Ar
gus. In 1910 IL was called "coccoluChe.'
because the sick wore cap close over
their heads. Afterwards the Italian
physicians named It Influenza and
i'm later years the French doctors gave
Ii the name of ia grippe" which is
now angliciZed into 'the grip'--though
it seems best To retain the French
spelling of the word when meaning this
disease. SO as 10 distinguish II from
other grips, IL is known all over the
world. and there is n disposition in ev-
an some other country. Thus, the Rus
slams call IL the Chinese catarrh, the
Germans often call IL the Russian pest
the Italians name IL the German dis
ease, and the French call il sometimes
the Italian fever and sometimes the
Spanish catarfh.
The occurrence Of grip as well as of
most other epidemics, is apparently
connected with some particular condi-
tion or contamination of the atmOs-
phere. but what that condition Is. or
what may be that kind of COntamina-
ton, no one knows. The poisonous i'm
nuence. whatever its nature may. be,
wings it's way with greater celebrity
than the speed OF human intercourse,
while it's progress seems Influenced by
the season of the year. whether hot.
cold, damp or temperate; II Is said 60
travel from east To west. and il seldom
STAYS IN one district more than six or
seven weeks Some NisitatiOus have
proved more severe than others; one i'm
1882. which extended over the whole Of
Europe, was very fatal; but at another
time when 10 ragged over all Europe, and
was said to have not missed a family
scarcely a person, none died. except
some children. When it broke out In
London i'm lSi1. IL appeared i'm single
day over every part OF that great city
and affected upward of 50000 persons.
In December. 1889. there was an epi-
demic OF grip I'm the city OF New York.
said 20 have been caused by germs
conveyed I'm letter from Russia which
was received 10y patient of an emf
| nent uptown physician" The cpidem-
ic laster six weeks. and was extremely
| severe, resulting In hundreds of deaths
| In March 1901 il broke out again, and
continued eight weeks. and the regis
trar n the health board says while
{ ID was less impetuous In its attack ana
| loss speedy In It's elimination Us more
protractcd duration made 10 the most
! fatal of oil the epidcmiCs we have had
| Since 1891 the severity "f the disease
! has been gradually declining although
more or less prevalent every year The
| largest number Of deaths from inGu-
| enza in New York ina any one year
| since 1891. was n 1895. I'm 1896 there was
| "A decided remission but an inCre ease
again in 1897. In 1898. up 90 the present
time there have been fewer deaths
than In any previous year since the
| disease first appeared
Prof NorthnaRei, or Vienna. VINO
: made q special study of the grip. made
report i'm 1892. i'm which ne said that
\ the malady was miasmatic, infectious
! and contagious. and declared that no
! specific remedy was known. though the
! sufferer might be relieved somewhat
| by various drugs. As 90 treatment. the
| New York board declined to make any
! suggestions. not dceinlng 10 SAFE - give
! any general prescrip lion, because the
! disaese takes many different form' ana
( snch form should b. treated speclhcai
1v." one physician is candid enough 90
| say frankly thar while drugs may
| nsp 90 re'icte iu. sutfer'uc n" b.st
| cIIr d. a-Wrrk sr.nt m bri