The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-04

More than a score of doctors said
yesterday that the strange disease
rallied the grip, which was almost cpl
hemic in Newark for three weeks, is
passing way because of the cold and
dry weather for several days, and that
If 1t continues cold and the ground
should be covered with a carpet of
snow for a week, the disease would
The doctors said that the
grip is a germ disease, and that the
germs were developed by the damp
and murky weather that set in early in
December, and they also say that the
grip has been milder each year since
II first made its unwelcome visit to
Newark about eighteen years ago, and
hat IL was of an unusually mild type
his season.
A prominent physician, who said he did
not treat cases Of grip, except for his old
patients, said that the disease was epidemic
in Germany in the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries, and it was called grip there, too,
n fact. he said. that few, except old Ger
mans, knew. He said that, according to a
legend that has come down through CEN
turtles, the priests told the people in the
ancient days to say "A very short prayer,
asking God to cure them and drive the
devils sickness from the ldnu.
''The disease finally disappeared" said
the doctor, land Germany was not annoyed
by It for centuries. The German people be-
Iieved that God had answered their prayer,
and there are German men and m in
Newark now who say the little prayer
when stricken with the grip-for they have
great confidence in its efficacy. That con-
hdence aids the doctors in their treatment
OF such patients"
q NH xvaAk antadafiOp the Christmas hOli-
days saw greatly decreased attendance in
nearly all the public schools on account Of
the trouble, and they resumed Thursday
with probably fewer pupils present than
In any other new year of the decade.
No accurate estimate of the humble
of absentees in the schools could be OBJ
tanned, nor of the number of absentees
caused by illness. The medical inspectors
state, However that such is largely due to
grip. In one section, the Forest Hill, is
found an exception. Many children lave
been forced to remain at home there be-
cause of the ehiekenpox. That this COM
plant may have some connection with the
spread Of grip is indicated by a statement
made to a reporter by DR.. P. w. Barber,
one of the city physicians.
IT have found many of my patients who
are suffering from the grip also troubled
with q peculiar rash-like complaint he
said. 1T crops out in the skin and looks
something ike smallpox. 1t is entirely
natural. but is not usual"
During the week that closed yesterday
there were twenty-five deaths reported at
the city clerks office as having been
caused by pneumonia in some of its forms.
This is about % per cent. of the total
number reported. At the same time grip
is mentioned in only five cases, and in all
OF them, except one or two there were
contrlbutory causes, like chronic COM
plants.
During the week just preceding. or from
December 20 TO and including December
IS. twenty-three cases of fatal pneumonia
were reported, and only two cases in which
simple grip resulted in death.
At one OF the leading department stores
the statement was made yesterday that
about 10 per cent. Of their employees were
laid off because of Illness, but that this
represented a smaller number than were
off ten days ago.
DR.. James t. Wrightson, a member of
The Board Of Health, said 1t was positively
The same old grip. but in a milder form,
that had stricken such a great number of
people during the past three weeks.
Or. William S. Disbrow has been a mem
Der of the Board OF Health for a dozen
years. He said:
Il have not noticed any difference in
the disease this season except that the
grip is a great deal milder than it was at
the time of tho previous endemic"
DR.. Walter S. Washington, former county
physician. said he remembered the first
appearance Of the grip in Newark in De-
cember. 1889, when it was epidemic and
many persons died OF II, for the disease
was new in this country then.
"It is the same grip now, but in a much
lighter form he said. and | have bad
fsw SasS Ssyisas easaA- theu@h ! have