Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-13
Epidemic Of the Disease
About Greater Boston.
Said 10 Be Of Dangerous Ma.
lure Of Years Ago.



that for virulence and contagion has
demic of Is years ago swept over Bos-
ton, is now keeping the physicians OF
Greater Boston the busiest they have
been in years and is causing thou
sands to be stricken almost daily.
The present form of grip is appar-
entity Of the same dangerous nature as
that of so many years ago, when the
number OF fatalities became alarming.
Already there have been many fatali-
ties from it this season. and the conta-
gion is by no means abating. The dis
ease is of the dangerous influenza va
riety ard scores of leading Boston ply
scians admitted to reporters yester-
day that the epidemic was apparently
increasing.
The City hospital has treated hun
dreds Of people afflicted with the dis
ease in various stages of development,
and the local Board of Health has had
the matter brought to it's attention, so
great has become the prevalence of the
disease.
Every part of the city has contributed
its quota to the total Of victims. The
West End has presented scores of
cases To the local physicians for treat
menr during the last few days. The
North End has sent many cases to the
Relief hospital for treatment, and in
the South En- there is q steadily in
c-easing nnmoer Of cases being brought
10 the nOtt.e of the local physicians
and the City hospital staff for treat
ment.
d.. Dnrgin of the Board of Health
declared to 4 reporter yesterday that
there were an unusually large number
of cases prevalent. Regarding the seri-
BUSINESS of the situation he said: "There
is undoubtedly an unusual amount OF
grip prevalent. The disease is an ex-
tremely serious one and one that is
constantly prevalent more or less The
chief difficulty lies in locating the
cases of those afflicted 1t is usually
complicated with other diseases, and
the difficulty is that it is practically
impossible to fight it"
Or. John c. Ceconi. whose work as a
physician of the Health Department
brings him in contact with all elements
and conditions, declared that within
the last two weeks an epidemic similar.
although milder in character to the one
y
been in Progress. Despite this fact the
disease is so varied in type and usually
allied with other diseases, that it battles
close definition and records are not kept
by the health department.
The epidemic Of records of the Health
Department show that starting Dec. r.,
1891. and ending Feb. 90, 1892. when the
disease was at its height, Boston was
pni6ep1ip tod in
105 deaths. OF this number 1913 were
women and - men. The highest death
rate was in January, 1892, when 1856
deaths were reported. OF the total num-
Der of deaths, y We're que to grip alone.
the other 122 being due to grip allied
with other diseases.
Twice before this Boston, was swept
by the grip. mild epidemic 1879. and q
more serious one in 1907. Authentic
records, extending back to the year l173,
show frequent outbreaks of the dis
ease, and prove that every country On
the face of the earth has been ravaged
ii meand time again by virulent cpl
denies. Yet the term Just a touch o.
the grip" is so commonly usel TO de-
scribe slight colds and minor ailments.
that the true seriousness of the disease
has been lost sight of.
Not alone is the city proper infected.
TIE disease has spread out over the
suburbs and there and in the outlying
towns that make up Metropolitan Bos-
tor. victims are being stricken daily
in evcr-increasing numbers.
The medical staff of the Carney hos
pital in South Boston are treating
scores Of patients afflicted with milder
Of I ha dai
sicians declare that the disease has APP
preached the proportions of an cpl
demic, end in several instances went
50 far as to say that the situation IL
growing worse. inasmuch as in families
where one is stricken it often involves
the other members. DIR. John :. Mac
Donald Of that district declared that
The number of cases brought to his at
tention is almost as great as it was
during the last epidemic.
Fields Corner and Dorchester has
proven a veritabIe hotbed of grip, and
large number of cases have been re-
ported there in the last two weeks. and
DR.. Charles l.. Mains declared that
within the last two weeks he had
treated more cases than he would or
dinarily treat in a year. DR.. f. T.
Murphy of fremont street with large
practise in Roxbury, finds more cases
among his patients than at any time
since the last epidemic. DIR. Carroll of
Brookline has treated scores of pa
tients in that district for the disease,
in some instances whole family being
stricken.
Wellesley, WATERFOWL and the New
tons, are all in the grasp of a virulent
epidemic. Medical Examiner George l..
West of Newton Center DR.. Frank
Stubs of Newton. and Dr. Charles 7.
Howard Of Boston and Newton all tell
the same story as the other physicians
Of other districts. On every hand there
are dozens of cases. although singular
~ enough the Newton hospital has
few cases. At Wellesley. however. the
college hospital is full, and new re-
cruits are daily being gained, directly
traceable in some cases to the fashion
Of going hatless.
Harvard University is also overrun
with grip. Not for many years has the