St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-03-18
FACTS ABOUT THE GRIP.
sponsibility for IL Upon
Some Other.

sponsibility for IL Upon
Some Other.
People who have never been in love
arc apt to doubt the existence of that
passion. '.Ie jes:s at scars that never
felt wound" And so, people who have
never had the grip are inclined to think
il is merely new name for a common
cold. One writer playfully suggests
that evidently the thing to do is for
everyone to become Christian sci
enlist and firmly believe that no such
disease as the grip exists" The fact
is, however. that the disease has been
known and described from the time of
Hippocrates. who was born in the year
400 B. G., and though its name has been
changed at various periods, it has al
ways been form of epidemic catarrh.
more or less severe, according to cir
cumstances. In 1910 it was called .'coc-
coluche," because the sick wore a cap
close over their heads. Afterwards. the
Italian physicians named it "inf1uenza." :"
and in later years the French doctors
gave it 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 to distin-
guish it from other grips. 1t is known
all over the world, and there is dispo-
sition in every nation to shift the odi-
nm of it upon some other country.
Then the Russians call it the Chinese
caiarrh, the Germans often call it the
Russian pest. the Italians name 1t the
German disease, and the French call II
sometimes the Italian fever and some
times the Spanish catarrh.
The occurrence of grip, as well as OF
most other epidemics, Is apparently
connected with some particular condi-
|'tion of the atmosphere, but what that
condition is, or what may be that Kind
Of contamination, no one knows. The
poisonous influence, whatever its ma
ture may be, wings its way with great
er celerity than the speed of human
intercourse, while its progress seems
influenced by the season of the years.
whether hot. cold, damp, or temperate;
il is said to travel from east to west,
and il seldom stays in one district more
than six or seven weeks. Some visita-
tions have proved more severe than
others; one in 17Se which extended over
the whole of Europe. was fatal; but at
another time, when il ragged over ali
Europe, and was said to have not
missed family, and scarcely a per-
sou, none died. except some children
When it broke out in London in 1877 il
appeared i'm single day over every part
of the great city. and affected upward
of 100000 persons.
In December, 1889, there was an epi
demic of grip in the city of New iorl.
said to have been ''caused by germ!
conveyed in letter from Russia which
was received by patient Of an emf
nent uptown physician" That epidem
ic lasted six weeks and was extremely
severe. resulting in hundreds Of
deaths. In March. 1891. it broke out
again, and continued eight weeks, and
the registrar of the health board says
..While it was less impetuous in its at
tack and less speedy in its elimination
its more protracted duration made il
the most fatal of all the epidemics we
have had. Since 1891 the severity oi
the disease has been gradually deciin
ing, although more or less prevalent
every year. The largest number Of
deaths from influenza III New York in
a:.y one year since 1891 was in 1895. In
1896 there was decided remission. but
an increase again in 1897. In 1898, uE
to the present time. there have beer
fewer deaths than in any previous yeal
since the disease first appeared.
Prof. Northnagel, of Vienna. whe
made a special study of the grip. made
a report in 1892. in which he said that
the malady was miasmatic, Infectious
and contagious, and declared that nc
specific remedy was known. though sui
ferers might be relieved somewhat BY
various drugs. As to treatment, the
New York board declined to make any
suggestions. not deeming it safe to give
any general prescription. because "tht
disease takes many different forms
and each form should be treated specif
ically." One ply is candid enough
10 say frankly that while drugs ma,
help the suffering. the best. cure Is
| week spent in bed."-AIbany Argus.