The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-01-20


LANSING, Jan. 2O.-The state
board of health is completely puz-
zled over the peculiar malady which
claimed nearly $500 victims here in
three days and half as many more
in the towns in this immediate vi
cinity, particularly in Diamond,
East Lansing and Williamson. Near
ly 1900 men stricken in their beds
the first night.
DR.. Frank w. Shumway, secre-
tary of the board, said: II am con-
vinced that the trouble was due to
some unexplained atmospheric con-
dition. The air was the only uni
versal medium of infection or in
toxication that reached the entire
affected territory.
"The atmospheric condition was
peculiar, in that snow covered the
ground through it all although the
mercury was playing about 80 de-
grees, keeping the snow and air
moist, yet without any excessive
humidity.
"The epidemic is an enteritis, or
inflammation of the small intestine,
with an associated ,gastritis and the
attendant nervous symptoms of col
Elapse and prostration. 1t is usually
Eheld that enteritis requires the ir-
ritant, germ or poison, to be in
|, gested and thus to enter and act
within the bowel.
This epidemic would lead one to
think that the air carried irritant
may have entered the air passages
and lungs and thus the circulation
1t probably was some obscure at
mospheric poison as yet unidentified
by medical science.
This first cases developed about
nightfall on Tuesday, the 18th, and
during the night probably 1,400
cases were reported. All were
acutely i'll from 8 to "a hours, but
treatment usually brought. recovery
in from "a to Y hours. The pre-
dominant features were vomiting,
extreme nausea and attacks closely
resembling winter cholera" Fever
| was present only in the most severe
cases.
1t was at first thought the cases
were of local origin, and the cause
, was sought in the diet, meat, oys
| tiers, canned goods, vegetables, the
water or milk supplies, but chemi
cal and meteorological examinations
of these, together with the intesti.
nal disorder, revealed no germ OF
any character to which the trou.
BILE could be attributed. Besides
some of the persons most affected
drank well waters, and several only
distilled waters. The final conclu.
sion is that the trouble was in the
air."
DR.. ]. F. Campbell, leading ply.
stefan with an extensive practice,
who attended several hundred cases
on the night of first attack, said:
| THE attacks were all Identical
There was nausea, vomiting, grip
ing, and in a few of the more Sc
we're cases collapse, all of the symp-
toms of cholera, but intensified. On
ly in the attacks upon children was
fever particularly noticeable, and
these but mildly.
"Unquestionably the origin was
atmospheric"
Prof. Cummings, superintendent
of schools, said: 1.-THE malady was
felt with particular force in the
schools. In one building five out oil
six teachers, the janitors and more
than a score of pupils were afflicted
In the high school rs out of 400 pu
pills were stricken. On Wednesday
10 out of 100 teachers were absent
The schools were affected three
days"
1 Records in the Office of DR.. B. M
| Davey, city health officer. show
that many physicians had as higl
as 200 cases under treatment at one
time In one shop 200 men were
laid off at once. He estimates thai
from Is to 20 per cent of the city's
population suffered during the three
days the malady was epidemic.
The treatment was by supper
tives, tonics, heat, rest in bed ant
quiet. No food. and in severe cases
sedatives and hot water application
to relieve the pain and excessive
bowel activity. This treatment sci
dom failed to bring qnick relief.
All of the city's industries wer'
crippled for two days. The stree
railway motormen seemed the pc
culiar prey Of the disease, and tn
service was short handed the re
mainder of the week.
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