The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-10

Likely to Pc One of the Worst Wis
itationS ON ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the
Mortality of other MuIadIes-Sta-
tistics Concerning the Complaint.
NEW YORK. Jan. 10.-The progress of
the present epidemic of grip in the city
is being watched with much interest By
sanitary officials So swift ard steady has
been the increase of the disease since it
reappeared in New York q few weeks ago
that the statisticians Of the Health De
partment are inclined 10 believe the pres
ent epidemic may be one of the worst on
record. Thus far. the experts say. the
prevalence and fatality Of the grip in the
city have not reached the record Of last
year. 1t is not alone by the actual num-
her of deaths from grip that the severity
OF the epidemic is measured. It has come
to be a well recognized fact that grip in
Creases the prevalence and fatality OF
pneumonia and bronchitis. and an cpl
demic OF grip IS always accompanied by
an increase in the mortality from all
causes
While the grip epidemic of 1900 began
about the same time OF the year as the
present epidemic began its progress was
slower In the week ending January 3,
1900, there were five deaths from grip in
the borough of Manhattan, but the total
number OF deaths from all causes in the
borough that week was only COL, about
the average number. The epidemic con-
tinued to increase in severity slowly, and
reached its turning point in the week
ending March 10. In that week there were
thiTJy-fve deaths from grip and So
deaths from all causes in the borough.
The deaths from pneumonia IN the same
week numbered 254 in Manhattan. The
epidemic ended in the week ending June
2, when there were two deaths from grip
and Go deaths from. all causes in The
borough. During the epidemic of 1900
there were 81 deaths from grip IN Man
haitian. and the increase il the number
Of deaths from all causes in the borough
due to the influence Of the epidemic was
estimated at 5000. Substantially the same
effects OF the epidemic were noted in the
other borOughs Of the city.
In the week ending December 10 last
there were two deaths from grip in Man
haitian but the total number of deaths had
not increased perceptbly and only slight
increase IN the number of dSaths from
pneumonia had been noticed. Last week
there we're eighteen. deaths from grip in
Manhattan aud the total number OF deaths
from all causes in the borough were SCI.
while the deaths from both pneumonia
and bronchitis had increased 80 per cent.
The reports for FIVE days OF this week in
dicate that the grip epidemic is increasing
steadily and rapidly.
Epidemic in This Country.
DR.. Roger s. Tracy, the Register of Vital
Statistics in the Health Department. has
made careful study of the grip statis-
tics for years, and he says that it looked
as If grip had become endemic in this
country The first record Of a grip cpl
denic in the United States IS the account
Of The influenza epidemic written BY Noah
Webster in 1856. That epidemic follow
ed several epidemics Of the disease in Eu-
rope but apparently died out IN one yea-
in this country. The records show that
there were epidemics of influenza in 1877
and 1913 in this city, but the disease did
not reappear in the years Immediately
following.
The most severe epidernies Of grip yet
known in New York were those of 1889.
1880 and 1891 but every year since 1881
there has been an epidemic Of the dis
ease n the city. II was the rule for
each succeeding epidemic TO be lighter
but that Of last year was more severe
than that Of 1883, and II seemed that the
disease had taken a fresh hold II the
present one shall prove TO be more Sc
we're than that of last year, the sani-
tarians viii come TO the conclusion that
grip IS endemic in this country. and viii
not dare to predict the severity Of future
epidemics- The sanitarians say that there
Is no way known 70 science Of checking q
scourge Of grip. Against the spread Of
the disease no quarantine avails. and the
utmost care and discretion b. individuals
viii not surely ward on the disease.
Officials OF the Health Department say
that there is al present no more reason
for public fear OF grip than there was in
the epidemic of last year. They admit
however. that the weather conditions have
not been so favorable for the spread OF
grip this year as the conditions were last
winter. when there was much snow melt
ing in the city streets. and they say that
il is the more remarkable that the dis
ease should have such severity when there
has been so much dry weather and so lit
tie fog IN the city The fact that many
men OF prominence in the city have been
i'll with grip has caused the public 10 pay
more attention TO the progress OF the
epidemic. Il is said Sheriff Greu Coun-