Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-10
DISEASE OF MILD TYPE
THE GRIP REGARDED AS EPIDEMIC
IN DISTRICT.
Three Deaths From the Disease Last
Week-OpinfOn Of Health
Department Official.

From information received by the health
department. the officials of that branch o.
the municipality are convinced that thu
grip, or ia grippe" as it is professionally
termed. is epidemic in the District, and tha
it is more prevalent than during any pre-
| vicus year. But, while this is true. the
health department experts state that In
thei, opinion and in that Of most Of the
local physicians the prevailing type Of the
disease is an unusually mild one. Last
week, they state, there were but three
deaths from the disease, a remarkably
small number they think, when the great
number of cases here is considered.
DR.. VIM. C. Woodward, the District health
officer, is one of those suffering from the
disease. evidence that even the head Of the
DEMONSTRATING department of the munich
pality is not immune against it. The En-
gireer Commissioner of the District, Capt.
Beach. returned to his desk today, after
suffering several days from 1t, and quite a
number of other officials and employees of
the District said to be either recovering
from it or are now laid up by it, The dis
ease is one which physicians are not re-
quireG by law to report to the health de-
partment, but from unofficial reports made
by them, and from informal inquiries, 1t
appears that about every physician In the
District has his hands full of cases Of
the grip, and it also appears to be the con-
census of opinion that the very open and
mild winter weather is largely, if not en-
tirely the cause of the extent OF the pre-
vaing epidemic.
The grip first appeared here December 81,
1853. when the first case was reported. It
appeared that year in London. England,
beginning in Russia in October of that year
and advancing from east to west into Ger
many and thence into France the following
month. Crossing the seas, it broke out in
the large cities of this country in the win
ter of 1890, coming into this country. 1t is
believed, from Canada. But whether car
red by the wind or following the lines Of
travel crowded with human beings has been
and is yet matter of opinion. Undoubted-
ly. it is said. contact with the sick and
ticles of apparel especially wool, worn by
them is the exciting cause of the disease in
the great majority of the cases.
Nervous Disorder and Infectious.
Speaking of the disease today to a re-
porter of The Star. Mr.. William B. Moore.
who has been in charge of the vital sta
tistics of the health department for the
past twenty years. said that in his opinion
it is nervous disorder of a contagious or
infectious nature, resulting probably from
microbic invasion of the laryngeal and pull
monary tissues in the first instance. Med
ical authorities say, he pointed out that
there is every reason to believe that, like
all Zymotic diseases "infiuenza has a Spe-
cihc organism. and requires special soil for
its growth, without which it cannot exist"
Hence, in view of all this, he remarked
that it is we'll to remember that cleanliness
and absolute dryness. with absolute regu-
larfty of life, are the safest and surest
protection against its attack.
The first thing to do, said Mr. Moore,
when attacked by the grip is to send at
once for physician. for it is a most stub
born disease. he declared. and therefore
most appropriately named The initial
az Int = ha
these of smallpox-pains in the head back
and limbs, etc. notiCea BILE phase of the
disease is its tendency to superinduce 9TH
ers OF a severe and fatal character, such
as pneumonia. consumption an affection
of the kidneys, and in the order named
That is. said Mr.. Moore, it is more ant to
pneumonia, and next to that
consumption, kidney disease being the third
malady most apt to result from an attack
of the grip II rarely kills directly, how
ever, it is said.
Since its first appearance in this country
eleven years ago it has regularly reappear-
ed being most prevalent during the months
OF January and February. The number of
deaths occurring since it has prevailed
mere, as reported to the health department.
IS as follows: Fiscal year of 1890, 100; 1891,
1876 81 1891, lis; 1898, 40; 1899, 1876, and
1900, lis.
Police Force Depleted,
Inc police force Is badly crippled because
ol the number OF members who are on the
SICK list There were sixty-two members
Oh the force reported sick yesterday Capt.
austin has been sick several days AMI I'M
able to attend to his duties. He Is much
better. however, and will soon return to
duty.
Sergts. Sullivan and Dunnigan of the third
ana Ioufth precincts, respectively, are
among those who are indisposed The other |
SICK members are officers of the first and |
second classes. Most of the disa bled mem.
bers have the grip.