Evening star., 1916-02-27


The present serious epidemic of in
huenza is of vital Importance to. the
present and future welfare of the
people of the United States. 1t is an
insidious disease and attacks most un-
expectedly. The death rate due to the
disease itself is comparatively low. but
it leaves its deadly sting to blot out
ones sight or hearing or reason. or
enervates various organs to insure at
tacks by other maladies- One attack
seldom protects the individual against
future attacks. as is the case with
mumps. measles. scarlet fever. etc III
is more to be feared than smallpox or
cholera in that it cannot be quaran-
tined or controlled like other con-
tasious diseases by the usual pro-
tective measures.
Grip is frequently considered by some
as joke; calls forth sardonic smile
. The malady is considered so similar
to bad cold by many that its real
menace is not realized. Everybody has
the grip Is it q joke The epidemic
of 1891 in Chicago produced the high
est death rate the city had ever known.
Recently Philadelphia had @ia deaths
in a week. The highest in fifteen
years. OF these deaths an unusually
large percentage. about per cent
were due directly to la grippe. Two
hundred and ninety deaths were due to
pneumonia and bronchial pneumonia
Doctors tell us that in so per cent of
the latter deaths grip
compice.
st. Louis and other populous cities of
this country as the result of the pres
ent invasion of the grip army.
Some Interesting History.
Historic records show that influenza
was known as early AIS B. c. At
this time the Athenian army in Sicily
suffered with the trouble. Whether it
existed earlier than this is not known.
An extensive epidemic visited the Brit
Ish Isles in 1910 Doctors met it in
Massachusetts nearly 800 years ago.
nfty-two years after the landing of the
pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. Between
1913 and 1875 it was epidemic (attack-
ing many in a community. state or
country. or pandemic tattacking many
throughout the world). on at least
eighty-six different occasions. Since its
first appearance in the United States
there have been. including the present
out break. at least twenty-three vista
tions of this disease. The invaslonS. as
war and trouble, come periodically. We
had severe epidemics in 1862. 1882, 1887.
1903, 1888, 1887. 1S49 and 1899. The
fact that it comes in spells perhaps
makes us scornful of it. One of the
most memorable and severe attacks
Cured during the winter of 1SS9-1S90.
1t appears to have had its origin in
Central Asia. The attacks are often
siye. The malady overran Europe and
this country like conquering. invad-
ing army. 1t was reported in Buchara
May. 1889: Moscow in September st.
Petersburg in October. Berlin in No
vember, and London in December. BY
the end of the latter month it invaded
New York and soon spread over the en-
tire continent. Within a year in
fuenza had visited all parts of the
earth. Since this world attack we
have not been free from local out
breaks in some parts of the world.
The advent of grip IN a community
is remarkable because of its astonish-
one person to another. On account of
its spreading so rapidly. even to great
distances. it was thought TO be
"air-born'' carried by the air) dis
ease. This view is strengthened by
various circumstances. For example,
during a recent outbreak the infection
occurred in numerous localities. almost
simultaneously in England and this
country 1t seemed actually to jump
across the ocean, 1000 miles, from one
continent to the other.
The duration of an epidemic in
community is about eight weeks. 1t is
found in all climates and attacks all
classes of society. Infants enjoy some
immunity. About 25 per cent contract
the disease during an epidemic The
death rate of the disease itself is for
tunately low, but it is common to date
in-health from an attack of influenza.
In many cases il is correct. 1t is
tonishing how many people Grip
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