The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-28
Here are the deaths from Influenza and
ne diseases which II a-ggraYates:

Inc cause or the delay in the increase OF
consumption mortality due to influenza, as
compared with the increase in pneumonia,
Is obvious. The former disease is chronic,
the latter acute. Lessons of the mucous
membrane OF the nose. throat and air pass
ages in the prevailing catarrhal bronchitis
OF influenza and of the air cells in pneu-
monia permitted the invasion of the tu-
bercle bacillus de noVo, while the charac-
~tertiStic prostration of the disease and con-
Sequent impaired vital resistance favored
the development and activity of latent
bacilli already in the system. Even a mild
attack OF influenza has often been the start
ing point of a fatal attack of tuberculosis.
The forthcoming report of the Board of
Health will show an increase of about 5000
over the number of deaths in the greater
city in 1900. No less than 1000 Of these are
attributed directly or indirectly to influenza.
In view Of these facts and the now regu-
lar annual outbreak Of grip. IL is considered
likely that the disease in America has be-
come domeSticated. The three former in
huenZa epidemics, though they ragged vio-
lently for a time, died out again completely,
so far as Europe and America were con-
cerned. The influenza bacillus Is short lived,
and IL those suffering from 1t can be iso-
lated until the disease has run its course
in each of them Ii will not spread farther.
The difficulty with the epidemic that started
In 1889 has been that il has never bee'i al
lowed TO die out in the locality where 1t
happens to be. Means of communication
are SO much better that the disease is car
ried to Chicago, for instance. before 1T has
time to die out in New York. and so on.
Every year 1t IL first heard of in Europe,
whence in a few weeks it comes to the sea-
ports of this country, and thence slowly
westward TO the Pacific. A curious phe-
nomenon is that it apparently rebounds"
at the western coast, and travels slowly
eastward again over the same territory.
Just at present the grip is not raging
mere, and deaths from consumption are
considerably more numerous than those
from pneumonia. In the week ending last
phthisis and l27 from pneumonia. The
week before the numbers were 204 and 155,
i iSspe''''S' ana week before 'na'' 80 ana
The first certificate of death from infu-
enza in this city was filed in the last week
of December, 1889, and the first years cpl
Gemic reached its maximum in January.
For 2 number of years thereafter the
severity of the disease alternated between
January and April. In 1897 the number OF
cases mad fallen so low that it was hoped
another year or two. 1t did not do SO,
however. and more people probably had the
grip last winter than any time since 1885,
as was witnessed both by the death rate
and by the crowded condition of all the city
hospitals.
1t is worth noting that the effect of the
influenza of the past ten years has been
almost exactly the same in other cities as
in New York. a compilation recently made
by the Chicago health department shows
the same Increase in the death rate from
pulmonary diseases since the influenza was
imported, and the same Increase i'm the
fatality of pneumonia. Between 1851 and
1880, inclusive. there were in Chicago %, 719
deaths from consumption and 1857 from
pneumonia, whereas in the last decade
there were 25,22S deaths from pneumonia
and only 22.957 from consumption.
The report of the state Board OF Health.
Issued yesterday, shows that grip mas
caused about 800 deaths in the month OF
Marcn. measuring the mortality from it
chiefly by that Of the acute respiratory
diseases which 1t so often brings TO a fatal
ending. Seventy-six per cent. of the deaths
from acute respiratory diseases were from
pneumonia.