Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-17
THE SWAY OF TINE GRIP.

"HIr'''- $3.50 - ' - $500
Caused by a Vegetable Parasite Tfat CAM
not be ElIminated-Comes Every Decade
or So.
The vegetable parasite which causes
grip is working overtime again, and
hospitals and physicians acknowledge
it's sway, says the Philadelphia Tele.
graph. Everybody who is an, body is
sneezing. The bacillus. the smallest
known to science, started with Presi-
dent Mckinley. knocked out a few
Cabinet officers, the Speaker Of the
House, score or more of Congress-
men, and is now getting in some fancy
ticks among common folks.
II IL, of course, difficult to strike
anything approaching correct esti-
mate of the number Of people who are
really suffering from grip. and not
merely from severe colds J he resident
physician OF one of the city hospitals
enid today that IL has become GUS
tomary now at this season of the year
for people with colds TO tell you that
they have the grip, whereas it often
happens that their cases display none
OF the regularly defined symptoms of
the disease.
Eat the same time,'' he said, II
have noticed lately very marked in /.
crease not only of bad colds, but also
Of the grip, and numbers Of cases of
the latter are being treated here daily. !"
Another physician who has been
called upon to treat many cases of in.
fluensa zen. arked that while tho grip
was epidemic, 1t was of much niilder
form than usual.
1.-THE reason for the decrease in
virulence,n he said, lis not matter
Of surprise to those who are familiar
with the history Of the disease, because
grip has history that dates away
back. IL was probably known in anita
Christian times. and Certainly was
kuown before Isabella pledged her
crown jewels and Christopher Columbus
set out from Palos on his never-to, be-
forgotten Western voyages have book
which treats at length Of various cpl
denies OF grip, one for instance, which
made all London sueeze 10 1910, and
another which is estimated TO have
laid low fully 1900 citizens Of Rome in
1878. 35rsa
In olden times grip was supposed
TO be caused by changeable wealth u
conditions, especially by damp atmos-
phere aud south winds, but, on the con.
| tOid hEy fWthLubE tut
most favorable conditions for the
spread of the germs, which, unlike
many other contagious germs, can pe
communicated by the breath.
1.-THE history Of the grip, 2 continued
the game authority, Shows that il
RACES with yearly lPs4ening virulence
for a petiod.of about 10 years, by which
time the comm unity has become i'm
| mi urh han fba tfnp t,ur Ia n. IN ar
to take an enforced vacation varying al
the way from 10 to 20 years. At th,
emo Of that time fresh crop of victim.
will have grown up. OF course, ther,
are always isolated cases of influenza
but investigation shows that epidemioI
areAreourrent at intervals of 10, 10 anC
20 years" .tffe
As the grip, fresh from long yaoa
tion, became epidemic in this countr,
in thv winter OF 18S9-1S90, it is believed
that next year the vegetable parasit,
will go out of business. Ten or q
years hence 1t will bob up serenely
seize the community by both throa
and nose, and cause another stir, anS
maybe receive new name, although j
would appear impossible for it to bea
a better one than it now works under
For the benefit Of those who hav
been transformed into a Cyrano d
Bergerac by the epidemio now prsya
lent, it may be stated that the particu
lar parasite that is the cause of thei
distress will never be eliminated
Other germs may be exterminated, bu
not this one. Men may come and mel
may 90, but this particular germ viii
go on forever. 1t is by far too shift,
to be quarantined or fumigared out o
existence. Medical science agrees tina
when the millennium dawns thi
particular parasite, will be on hand t
greet it.