The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1913-06-06
INFLUENZA IS NOT
HARMLESS DISEASE
Real Old Grip May Have Many
Dangerous Complications
Says Georgia State Board
of Health.

to look upon it as harmless kind OF
fashionable disease, a viewpoint that
was speedily changed In those oca.
Titles where hospitals became charnel
houses, though this reputation chung
to 1t more or less strenuousiy for
some years.
But its dangerous qualities have
| long since become we'll known as q
result OF the numerous and serious
complications which may attend 1t;
in fact, there is scarcely any organ of
the body which is immune from the
effects of it. And although IL now ap-
pears in milder form in the sporadic
or epidemic cases than In the pande-
mic invasion which went around the
world, 1t Is particularly severe and
| dangerous, says the Georgia State
Board of Health, for old persons, and
for persons who are debilitated or
weak, persons given to alcoholic IL
quors, those who are too fat and
those suffering from heart and lung
troubles
Influenza is an acute infectious disc.
ase caused by what is known as the
/ bacillus of Pfeiffer, after the name
of its discOverer in 1892 1t may be
communicated either by association
with persons affected or through in
halations In sections where ii is or
has been prevalent. 1t has been known
to be contracted at sea where there
was no existing case, lending color
, to the belief that the germ travels
through the air. 1t occurs either In
isolated cases, in epidemics or pan
denies.
Travels Around the World.
During the last century there were
four periods during which practically
every country in the world suffered
from the unusual prevalence Of this
disease. The last pandemic occurred
In 18S9-91. 1t started In Russia and
soon spread to Germany and Eng.
land. Later 1t appeared in New York
and rapidly spread over North Ameri.
ca. Soon practically the entire civil
lized world was affected Since that
time influenza has been constantly
present in the United States, but in
milder form.
influenza Is one of the medical
goats" and not infreQuently the In
clpient stages of tuberculosis, malaria,
liberated endocarditis and typhoid fe.
yer are mistaken for it.
Grip may develop very suddenly,
rIIln in IN
germs, gaining entrance to the res.
piratory tract, multiply very rapidly.
All ages are susceptible to the disc
ase, though infants under one year
old are seldom attacked. The great.
est prevalence of the disease is dur.
Ing the winter and spring; deficiency
OF sunlight seems favorable to the
growth of the germs. One attack does
not confer immunity but seems to
predlspose to others, though subse-
quent attacks are not usually as Sc
we're. The danger lies not so much in
the disease itself as in the complica-
lions which it may induce. Frequent
ly 1t predlsposes one to an attack of
tuberculosis: it may set in action
tubercular garms which have been ly-
ing dormant A frequent accompani.
ment of influenza is infuenza-pneu.
monia, differing from ordinary pneu-
monla In that it rarely terminates in
a crisis, usually dragging on for
weeks. Other complications are con.
gestion of the kidneys and other or.
gans, diseases of the heart and blood
vessels, diseases of the ear and a..
tectlons of the nervous system.
Symptoms of Influenza.
Grip may come on very suddenly,
noticed first in chilly sensations fol
lowed by a fever which may reach
lO5 degrees, loss Of appetite, head
ache, pain in the limbs and then a
sense of utter wretChednesS. Lassi-
tude, cough, insomnia and a flush
Ing OF parts of the face as in scarla-
una, may accompany 1t. The patient
feels and seems desperately i'll. Bron.
chitis frequently develops accompap-
led by pains in the chest, and may
be followed by pneumonia. The pa
the heart action may be feeble, the
, skin relaxed and Clammy, hot and
dry. Pneumonia and heart failure
are the most frequent causes of
death following an attack of influenza.
Meningitis, particularly danger
! GUS complication. may also be caused
| by the influenza bacillus. Nervous
, Ava lib vi tAS olSCuNS are quite COIL
mon, varying all the way from simple
rrestlessness to paralysis and insan-
ity. or $4,000 cases analysed by Lee,
! 1000 were of a nervous type
I Influenza being highly contagious,
1t is OF great importance that pei sons
suffering from it should be isolated,
and all precautions taken to prevent
its spread. The patient should have
separate dishes which should be
washed in boiling water each time
they are used. All linen and body
! clothing used by the patient should
! be thoroughly boiled or soaked in a
| five per cent. solution CT carbolic
acid before being sent to the laundry.
! AS to treatment the most important
thing to empesize is that the patient
should be treated by a competent
physician Even in the milder cases
the patient should go to bed, as rest
| is the best possible treatment for
! the disease. There is no specific
remedy for influenza. Many drugs
have been used often with good eff
! feet; at other times with varying de.
| grees of success, but these should
always be administered under the
!