The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-10
A GRIP EPIDEMIC HERE
Hundreds of Washingtenians Suf-
fering From the Disease.
Three Deaths From the MalRdy Re-
Patients Frequently Afflicted by "a
Throat AfYection-Chicago Reports
100000 People Stricken.

| Washington citizens are beset with the
annual grip epidemic. This peculiar dis
ease, by its regular advent in years gone
by. has come to be regarded as a certain
evl during the months of January and
! February Three deaths which were re-
| ported to the Health Office have occurred
i from complications arising from grip.
The National Capital is. of course. not
| the only point that Is being visited by
| the grip. Reports come from New York,
| Philadelphia. Boston. Chicago, San Fran
| cisco, and many other large cities of the
| appearance of the disease at those places
In Chicago the complaint appears to be
more virueut than ever in previous years.
and it has been estimated by physicians
that there are 100. 900 cases of grip in the
| Windy City at the present time. The
| list of victims is steadily swelling the
| death list. In New York the disease has
/ made its appearance, accompanied in many
| cases by peculiar throat affectation. 1t
/ causes huskiness Of voice, but is unac-
! companied by Inflammation and swelling.
| the characteristics OF most throat trou-
| bles.
This complication of the disease has
also made Its appearance in Washington.
and many cases have been developed.
The physicians here. however, say that
there is nothing peculiar or unusual in
the affectation which they class in the
general category of throat trouble. The
physicians in New York are, however,
rather puzzled over the appearance OF
this complication of the grip. It arst
made its appearance some time ago in
the J. Hood Wright Hospital of that city.
One after another the house physicians
were taken down with 1t, and several
were critically i'll. The popularity of the
affectation is the fact that it causes a
decided hoarseness of the voice without
any swelling or soreness, and 1t has been
compared to the condition of the vocal
organs after person has been shouting
vigorously for some time. The fact that
it seldom develops to a critical stage is
the reason perhaps why it has not come
| more closely to the attention of the local
physicians. Although not serious it is
very annoying, and inasmuch as there
are no specific remedies it is hard to
| get rid of.
Although most of the local physicians
say that the epidemic of grip is not so
serious this year as it has been in pre-
vious winters. the business of the medical
| men has, nevertheless, received decided
stimulus. The hospitals have large
number of cases, none of which are of a
serious nature.
At Garfield Memorial Hospital there are
at present seventeen cases of grip. None
| of them Is serious, and the house physi-
clans have had no trouble in handling
the epidemic. The first case made it's
appearance about two weeks ago.
The free dispensary at Emergency Hos
pital has been doing a rushing business
during the past week or so doling out
medicines and treatment to applicants
who have been attacked by grip. Patients
who are merely i'll are not accepted at
Emergency Hospital unless the case is
specially urgent one. Many of the appli-
| cants for treatment are poor people who
are unable to afford the expense of
physician They are generally given med
icine and sent back to their homes. None
of the cases that have come to the notice
of the house physicians is of a serious
nature.
There are fifteen cases Of the disease
at Freedman's Hospital. nearly all of
which are young people None is Sc
rious. although several have been quite
i'll as the result of a complication OF lung
trouble that has set in.
There are a large number of applicants
for treatment at Eastern Dispensary each
At Homeopathic Hospital there are ten
cases of grip, and as at the other hos
pitaIs none of them is serious. Most
of the cases have been of short duration.
The patients would be taken suddenly i'll
and would recover quite as rapidly
DR.. Hobart s. Dye stated yesterday
morning that he had met with great
number of cases. None, however. was
serious, except in cases of old age. DIR.
Dye considers that grip is merely form
of influenza and says that many OF his
patients call every little cold a case of
grip He considers that there is no oc-
casion to scare the public on the score
of dreadful epidemic. What he has seen
of the grip this year takes on none OF
the virulent type of the disease of other
years Like other diseases of the same
character, he believes that grip, having
inoculated the majority of the people. is
becoming less serious each year. and that
people will eventually become more or
less immune.
DR.. Elmer Sothoron attended his first
case of genuine grip about four weeks |
ago He notes that the disease mas been
remarkably active among children of from
four to five years Of age. The majority OF
his cases are Of this character. Grip
usually claims it's victims from those of
older growth whose condition has be-
come run down. DR.. Sothoron advocates
a total abstinence from all labor, as part
of the necessary treatment He believes
in absolute rest for the patient. Severe
pafns accompanied by mental depression.
he considers, render a grip sufferer unfit
for the pursuit of the usual business oc-
cupations.
DR.. John p Burwell has also attended
a number OF cases. and subscribes to the
fact that the present epidemic is mild in
form. In one instance, in his practice.
family of FIVE one after the other. have
been attacked by grip. His first case was
received about two weeks ago. symptoms
of the disease, as described by DR.. Bur
well. are headache, pains in the back.
stiffness and pains in the legs. cough, and |
fever. The distinctive feature OF grip Is |
the tendency to throat trouble Nearly |
every case. says Dr. Burwell. is accom- |
nanied by bronchitis and physical prostra-
tion. The liability to pneumonia, as
consequence of grip, he also notes.