New-York tribune., 1901-01-11
GRIP SCOURGE SPREADING
DAMP WEATHER FAVORABLE TO PROPA-
CATION OF GERMS.
DRUGGISTS SAY EPIDEMIC is WORST IN
TEN YEARS IN EXTENT. BUT CASES
ARE OF A NILDER TYPE.

TEN YEARS IN EXTENT, BUT CASES
ARE OF A NILDER TYPE
Information obtained yesterday regarding the
scourge of grip which is affecting the city indi-
Gated that the disease is still spreading rapidly,
but that there has been no increase in the
severity of its type. An unusually large number
of people in the city are suffering with influenza
of comparatively mild form. 1t would appear
that the illness is more general, but that the
fatality of the disease is not so great as last
year. The wet and foggy weather of yesterday
was believed to favor a further increase OF the
grip epidemic.
The men who fill physicians prescriptions and
sell medicines in the city usually keep them
selves we'll informed about prevailing epidemics.
Druggists who talked with reporter Of The
Tribune yesterday were unanimous in the dec
laration that the grip has become unusually
prevalent in the city within a few weeks. They
all said that there has been an enormous In
crease in the sale of drugs which are prescribed
by most physicians in cases Of influenza and
severe colds The information CLEANED by sew
eraI OF the druggists is to the effect that while
the grip is more prevalent now than 1t has been
at any time since 1891 it is generally Of milder
type than was observed ten years ago.
LESS DANGEROUS THAN LAST YEAR.
Taken In connection with the Health Depart
ment reports. the information gained by the
druggists is Of no little interest at time when
the prevailing epidemic is known to be increas-
ing in all parts of the city The reports received
by the sanitary officials do not show the num-
Der of cases of the grip, but only the number
of deaths from that disease. Thus far those
ranorts do not indicate an epidemic equal to
that Of last year. II may be believed there
fore. that while the disease is affecting more
d Nfa mil
less dangerous
..47roro the large increase in the sales OF GER
tain drugs commonly prescribed in cases Of in
fuenza, I believe the grip is more prevalent no"
than Il has been at any time within ten years
said the manager Of the pharmacy OF Cas"eH'
Massey & Co, at Ffth-ave. and Twenty-hfth-
ST. Yesterday. "Of course. the physicians do
not all prescribe the same remedies in cases OF
influenza Some drugs are prescribed by one
physician and other drugs by another physician.
We know. however that there has been tre-
rnendous increase in the demand for such drugs
as are used in most prescriptions in cases Of in
nuenZa and severe colds Judging by that, and
bv Information that comes to me, 1 would say
there is more grip in the city now than we have
had since the epidemic Of ten years ago l be-
ueve the disease is not so severe as it was then.
It is apparently of a milder FORM
At Rikers drug store, SiXth-aVe, ana IWenty
phenacetine and other drugs used as remedies
for the grip had been almost phenomenal Tor a
few weeks. That was an indicatloh' one 0i ii
statesmen said, that the aflcton OF the puphc.
due to the prevailing epidemic, had become more
general; ..,,o. ,,,o .bis be said 1--WE are
likely to have even more trouble with grip and
T influenza colds In mild, wet and foSgy weather
the germs of influenza are propa gated rapidly"
At the prescription department in the store
of Elmer & Amend, Third-ave. and Eighteenth
St. there was the same report as to the enor-
nous increase in the demand for drugs used IN
. influenza cases. Information gathered by one
of the clerks led him, he said, to the conclusion
/ that most Of the grip in the city Is Oh hlllaer
form than usually has been noticed IN eploelllcs.
Il am inclined think he said, .'thdt many
ordinary colds are being mistaken for cases OF
the grip" .L
The same opinion was expressed by another
druggist in Thivd-ave., who said that IN cpl
demic time every other person VINO caugHt
severe cold thought he had the grip. ..
The manager of Kalish's pharmacy, at Fourth
ave and Twenty -thrd-st., said: Il thinh there
time last year. The disease does not cause
many deaths. however. and is apparently OF a
mild type One Of the Mf worst epa dangep5 o! 'e
There has been a great rush at Bigelow $
pharmacy, Sixth-aVe., near Elghth-St' Ior
/ remedies for influenza and colds. Statesmen tnere
| said Yesterday that they had heard of few fatal
cases Of the grip this year -,
has been such a rapidly increasing demand for
| 0uinine within a fortnight that the druggists
have come to the conclusion that the G grip s, IS
causing much suffering In the reu Hsh' i'
trict. - ~
TYPICAL GRIP WEATHER.
Officials Of the Health Board expect an in
| crease of the grip epidemic from now until
| March DIR. Tracy the Register of Vital Sta
tistics said yesterday that the weather was
typical grip weather. The rate of increase of
deaths from influenza is about the same this
year as last year. and DR.. Tracy thinks the in
crease will continue at the same ratio as last
year.
DR. Cosby, of the Health Board, said yester-
day that he wished to emphasize the necessity
of people going right to bed when they have
the grip. He said that taken in time the ef-
fects of the disease probably would be miti-
gated in nearly all cases.
! About four hundred policemen were reported
! to be on the sick list and suffering with the
/ grip yesterday. Some observers of the pollce
! said that it was not to be supposed that so
! large a number OF the policemen actually had
! the grip. Many members of the force take ad-
| vantage of slight colds TO shirk patrol duty IL
! has not been observed that large percentage
| of other employees OF the city government are
! absent from duty account Of Illness at this
! time. -
The warm weather prevailing in this city will
Continued Third PaGe.D