The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-13
LA GRIPPE A PUZZLE.
what Is known of IL After Ten
Years study.
From the Lancet.

From the Lancet.
II is now nearly ten years since the dis
ease known as Influenza" appeared I'm ep-
idemie form in this country. after an in
terval of forty-three years There are diff
ncuiues in ascertaining the exact chrome
logical order in which different paris of the
country We're attacked with the complaint
for, although cases were not actually rec
ognZed and reported untI toward the end
of December. 1889. yet subsequent reflection
convinced many medical men that they
had mel with cases considerably anterior
10 that time Since that epidemic the COM
munity has been rarely. IL ever, entirely
free from the disease. and "reminiscences
have from time to time occurred, although
they have not assumed such proportions
as were reached In the early part of 1890.
! 1t forms an interesting study. although
not "a consoling one to look back over the
len years in order to ascertain how far
medical science has advanced as regards
the recognition. treatment and phophylax-
Is of the malady.
The first point which strikes us is that
the type Of the disease has undergone con-
slant alterations, and the varieties OF
symptoms which present themselves are
so numerous that ID is difficult to recog-
nize them as forming Instances of the
same disease, the clinical course OF which
during the epidemic just referred 20 was
so characteristics.
Experience has shown that the compH-
cations are so diverse that their import
ance outrides that of the original malady.
and, indeed. they may be even mistaken
for It, and thus the difficulties OF diagno-
SIS may be manifesty increased. Various
hypotheses were suggested as TO the eu-
oiosy OF epidemic influenza such as the
theory lhat II was due 20 climatic eondi-
or To s,l
asm' other observers contended that Il
was zoogenous In origin-that II to say.
GeriVed from equine Influenza or that IL
was carried by migratory birds; another
susses'on was thal the disease had
uleteue origin, belng disseminated by
means OF Russian oats These theories.
nave. however one by one been discarded.
ana IL IS now generally acknowledged that
the bacillus discovered by DIR. Pfeainer I'm
lSJs rs the casual factor, and as we nave
already pointed out, DIR. Ffnkler main
Jams that the presence OF the mbcrobe In
'ne spuluih ehould FORM an essentlai part
OF the diagnosis In doubtful cases.
1T IS frequently dhhcult 20 distinguish be-
tween iebrlle catarrh ana an attack
OF influenza both nave many symptoms
IN common, although the mode OF onset
ana the danger or complications diner
considerably. Unless care rs taken IN the
diagnosis needless alarm as often created.
| II, therefore, means Tor the detection OF
FIelnef baclllus can ne easily carried out
valuable help IN this respect is at mana.
Dr. +. ~. Wynekoop, hrst assistant Dac-
terioioglst OF the department OF health OF
the city OF Chicago, mas demonstrated thar
AFTER the observer mas become famlliar
with the appearance oil the Pfeifer pacil-
lu9 uhder the microscope IL may DE read
ny identihed in the sputum and mucous OF
patent SUFFERING from innuenza by d.
! rect examination without awaiting the re-
! SUIT OF culllVauoh' we nave petore ex-
/ pressed our OPINION on inns proposal ana
| trust that further investigation VIII ne
/ made IN order to test the clinical value OF
| such bacterloioglcal examinations
Dr. Osier, following the opinions OF many
| competent observers, states that the re-
| spiratory system Is peculiarly likely to be
| involved while others, although agreeing
| with TINS statement, believe that the main
| force OF the disease Is expended on the
nervous system. ana much has been writ
ten on the "neuro-pathology' Of influenza.
| Dr Goodhart draws attention TO the fact
| that there Is no record In former times of
| the long series of nerve disorders follow
ing influenza with which we are now but
600 familiar and which viii be found
| by our successors when In the stress OF
| epldemlcs yet TO come they study as we
do to-day. che recorded experiences of the
past. IL is undoubtedly true that infu-
enza mas shattered the nervous systems OF
large number of It's victims, In some
cases permanently, In many for several
years after II has run its course. The sub
sequent events may lead 20 the diagnosis
| or influenza after the event, the primary
attack being so vague that no conclusion
could be arrived at until the train OF
nervous symptoms suggested the true ma
ture OF che original disease.
| While we may claim to have made con-
| siderable advances during the past ten
| years IN the knowledge of the ptiOlOQV
pathology of influenza, we can show but
| little Improvement I'm our methods of
treatment and prOnhVla vi