The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-06
THE POSTCARD DISEASE.
Symptoms and Results of a MaIady
Which Has Spread Over the Globe.
Boston HeraldN


In the last few years a new disease
has appeared on the earth and rhas
spread with incredible rapidity over all
parts of the globe where postoffices may
be found. Indeed it's germs have been
disseminated chiefly by the mails.
1t is disease of the brain, caused by
germ which has at last been isolated
though as yet no neutraiizing agent has
been found. II attacks alike old and
young only infants and very young
children being immune.
The initial attack gives immunity
from second because the first lasts as
long as the victim does.
The onset is usually sudden. The
worm attacks the optic nerve and rap
idly makes its way to the brain. The
first symptom is a feeling of intense
pleasure upon receiving a postcard and
desire to reCiprOcate in kind. If this
desire be sternly repressed and the pic
ture postcard consigned at once to the
flames there is a possibility that the
attack may be averted
If, as IS almost invariably the case.
the victim yields through ignorance of
his ailment the motor Centers will he
come involved a d he will rush to the
nearest drug store Cor picture postcards
From this point the -rOgress If the dis
ease is rapid.
The victim may be heard at I'ers
and railway stations shrieking, BE sure
and send lots Of picture postcards" af-
ter his departing friends, who in nine
cases out of ten are as badly off as
himself. This germ has now reached
the Broca's convolutiOn. the speech cen
ter Of the brain, and after this the dis
ease is said to be incurable.
The victim viii now invite you to din
ner and then will require you to wade
through albums filed with multitude
nous atrocities in color showing where
he has been, where his friends have
been and where he will go in his next
vacation tim.
And you will say, Wonderful, beau
tiful. interesting and even gorgeous"
till you begin to feel like phonograph
with a limited vocabulary.
By she time the fifth volume is
reached you are ready to take leave Of
your host, he protesting that it is not
late and that his Egyptian collection is
the most interesting Of all and that you
really must see It another time.
Victims of this disease are always in
terested in art, and with a collection of
moderate size they viii assume the air
of a cOnnOisseur.
They will show you the Mona Lisa on
a postcard and will assure you that il
is an exact reproduction, especially as
to color and that it was painted by
LayonardO da Vinchy, cycling you fur
lively to see if the pure Italian accent
has impressed YOU. You at once ask if
they have a picture Of Bottitchellfs
Spring" and hOnOrs are even
You will be called on to admire in one
evening the fresCoes Of Andrea del
SartO. the Grand Canyon OF the Colora-
do. the Cathedral of st. Sophia and the
California pepper tree. The sufferer has
by this time lost all sense OF proportion.
and art to him is one great conglOmera-
ton of picture postcards.
In the later stages of the disease a
new symptom develops the victim being
unable 70 write except on the margin Of
a postcard. The thought of writing a
letter becomes abhOrrent. and even the
sight of an envelope may be followed by
sensations.
The case is recorded Of a woman who
Travelled abroad for two years and in
that time sent her husband $3.50 postal
cards and only two letters
At the end Of the second year he
wrote telling her Of the death of her
mother. Her reply came on the margin
of a postcard.
Am sending you this lovely picture
of the Tai MahaL If only dear mamma
could have a tomb Ike this on ever SO
small a scale I shouldn't grieve, Am
leaving for home at once 50 NAV not
be able to send any more pOstaIs."
For obvious reasons lovers are the
greatest sufferers when this stage of the
disease is reached. and it is upon this
class Of unfOrtunates that the antitoxic
serum will be first used when 1t IS
found