The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-02
WHAT THE GRIP is.
Each Nation Tries to Shift the Re
sDonsibiIity for 1t Upon Some Other.

Albany Argus.
People who have never been in love are
APT TO doubt the existence of that passion.
lie JestS at scars that never felt wound"
And SO, people who have never had the
grip are inclined to think it is merely a
new name for a common cold One writer
playfully suggests that evidently the thing
10 Go is for every one to become a Christian
scientist and firmly believe that no such dis
ever, that the disease has been known and
described from the time of Hippocrates who
was born in the year AGO B. c., and though
IFS name has been changed at various
periods, 1t has always been a form of cpl
demic catarrh, more or less severe, accord
ing to circumstances. In 1910 it was called
'coccoluche,' because the sick wore a cap
close over their heads. Afterwards the
Italian physicians named it influenza" and
in later years the French doctors gave it the
name OF Ia grippe" which is now an
glicicized into ''the grip''-though it seems
best TO retain the French spelling for the
word when meaning this disease, SO as TO
distinguish 1t from other grips 1t is known
all over the world and there is disposition
III every nation TO shift the odium of 1t upon
some other country. Then the Russians
call II the Chinese catarrh, the Germans
often call 1t the Russian pest, the Italians
name 1t the German disease and the French
call it sometimes the Italian fever and some
times the Spanish catarrh.
me occurrence of grip. as well as of most
othef epldemlcs, is apparently connected
WIN some particular condition or contami-
hatlon OF the atmosphere but what that
condition is, or what may be that kind of
contamination, no one knows The poison
Gus influence, whatever its nature NAV be
wings ITS way with greater CELEBRITY than the
speed of human intercourse, while its prog
fess seems influenced by the season of the
year, whether hot, cold. damp or temperate;
1t is said to travel from east to west and it
seldom stays in one district more than six
or seven weeks Some visitations have
proved more severe than others; one in 1882,
which extended over the whole of Europe
was very fatal; but at another time when
it ragged over all Europe. and was said to
4 mil and oil
person, none died. except some children.
When 1t broke out in London in 1917 1t ap-
peared in single day over every part Of
that great city. and affected upward of
100000 persons.
In December. 1889. there was an epidemic
of grip in the city of New York said TO
have been caused by germs conveyed in a
letter from Russia which was received by a
potent Of an eminent uptown physician"
That epidemic lasted six weeks and was ex-
tremely severe. resulting in hundreds of
deaths. In March. 1891. 1t broke out again,
and continued COZ eight weeks, and the regis
trar of the health board says: While il
was less impetuous in its attack and less
speedy IN Its elimination. its more protract-
ed duration made II the most fatal of all the
epidemics we have had Since 1891 the sever
itY of the disease has been gradually de-
Ginning although more or less prevalent ev-
cry year. The largest number or deaths
from influenza in New York in any one year
since 1891 was in 1895. In 1896 there was
decided remission, but an increase. again in
1897. In 1925 up TO the present time there
have been fewer deaths than In any prvious
year since the disease first appeared"
Prof Northnagel of Vienna, who made
a special study Of the grip. made report
In 1892, in which he said that the malady
was miasmatic. infectious and contagious,
and declared that no specific remedy was
known, though the sufferers might be re-
l.eVed somewhat by various drugs. As 70
treatment. the New York board declined 70
make any suggestions. not deeming II safe
70 give any general prescription, because
the disease takes many different forms,
and each form should be treated specifcal-
" One physician Is candid enough to say
frankly that while drugs NAV help 20 re-
heye the suffering, the best cure y . Week
spent In bed