Lower coast gazette., 1913-10-11
The Grippe.
BY George M. sternberg,

Epidemic influenza, or grippe-in
French, la grippe-is an infectious dis
ease which has prevailed to a greater
or less extent in the United States
since 1889. The period Of greatest
epidemic prevalence is in the late fall
and the early winter months.
The disease is very contagious, and
the rapid development of the annual
epidemic, especially in cities, is no
doubt due to the fact that many Of
those suffering from the disease con.
tinue to go about in pursuit of bust.
ness or pleasure. You will meet them
in the street-cars, IN the shops, at
theatres, in school and at church, and
no n seems to feel any personal
responsibility for the spread Of the
disease.
This is no doubt largely due to mis-
taken ideas with reference to the man.
ner in which it is acquired, and to
the impression that it Is a compare
lively harmless malady. The old idea
that the disease is Gin the air." and
extends Independently of personal
contact with the sick, must be aban.
doned.
This was formerly the prevailing
opinion with reference to epidemics il
general. The plague, cholera. yellow
fever and malarial fevers were sup
posed to be due to something present
in the atmosphere in the regions af-
fected, and all persons living within
the area Of prevalence were believed
to be liable to contract the prevailing
malady as a result of breathing this
infected atmosphere.
The advance Of science mas shown
us that in the case of cholera and
typhoid fever the specific germ is in
the discharges from the bowels; that
epidemics Of these diseases result
from the use of a contaminated water
or milk supply; that the cholera germ
is quickly killed by exposure to sun
light and d~esiccation (drying); that
the typhoid germ is more resistant,
and may, to a limited extent, be car.
ried through the air in dust from In
fected material; and finally, that both
of these germs may be transported
through the air by flies, which have
alighted upon the discharges Of r.
tients suffering from these diseases.
In yellow fever and the malarial
fevers, the germ is present in the
blood Of the patient, and cannot posi-.
bly, pass through the atmosphere from
the sick to the we'll except when car.
ried by a blood-sucking insect. This,
as is now we'll known, is accomplished
by mosquitoes and these infectious
diseases would no doubt quickly dis.
appear If it were not for the pernicious
activity of these insects.
How Diseases Spread.
Bubonic plague, which formerly
ravaged the countries of Europe, and
still prevails extensively in the Orient,
is believed to be propagated through
the agency of tleas, which carry the
germ from plague-infected rats to
man.
We now know that epidemic influen.
"a is due to a minute. germ, a bacillus,
which is found in immense numbers
in the secretions from the bronchial
and nasal mucous membranes during
the acute stage of the disease. In
coughing and sneezing, these. bacilli
are thrown into the ali, but they do
not retain their vitality for any great
length of time, and outdoors soon per-
ish through the disinfecting action of
sunlight and d%esiccation. 1t is evident
that climatic conditions play an i'm
portant part in the development of an
epidemic, but in the absence OF the
germ, exposure to cold, wet feet, and
SO forth, will not give rise to grippe.
When one has been exposed to In
lection, the. development Of an attack
may depend upon catching cold" as
a result Of exposure. Or a mild and
unrecognized attack may develop into
a serious seizure as a consequence OF
meteorological conditions and impru-
dence.
That climatic. conditions alone are
not responsible for the annual epidem-
ic. prevalence Of grippe Is shown by
the fact that this country and other
parts OF. the world have been free from
the disease for long periods of time.
If meteorological conditions alone
were responsible, we should expect the
disease to occur everywhere and every
year when the weather favorable to
it's occurrence was prevailing. But we
may have extensive prevalence m a
city and absence of the disease in
other localities having exactly the
same conditions as to weather.
Just when and where the disease
originated no one can say, but we have
authentic historical accounts Of num-
erous widespread epidemics which
! have accurrnd durino fho nasY eight