Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1916-01-28
SANITARY COMMITTEE URGES
PREVENTION OF GRIP EPIDEMIC

Influenza or "the grip" is after
you. Look out, or it may knock
you out. 1t may seem like an
ordinary cold, but it is apt to leave
you cru:npIed up for weeks M is
often the starting Pc Mt for SeClOus
or permanent sickness.
"W here does it come from, 10
you ask? In such a year as this,
it comes from everywhere. There
are thousands of cases iq the big
cities near US. while in the sn,sier
cities and towns and on the trains
the thousands are not counted. l.
is now spreading, aud given every
indication of repeating its perfor.
mances offormer years (lSS9 1909
by sweep;n" through the country
from coast to coast.
"What is the grip'?" 1t is an
epidemic highly infectious disease
caused by the influenza bacillus.
The germ usually attacks first the
nose and throat, or lungs and bron-
chi, but sometimes upset, or just
fever, and aching bones mark lis
arrival. You will get it as New
Years gift or Valentine from your
classmates, fraternity mates, etc,
and from your neighbor at the
movies and in other similar places.
Crowded in door places with poor
ventilation furnished stock ex
changes where trading in influenza
bacilli is active, and always at a
loss.
"What can I do about it," Is
that your question? There are
four things you can do. l. Keep
yourself in good condition by mod
Grafton in eating and drinking; by
plenty of fresh air and exercise; by
regular sleep in room with
abundance of fresh air. Wear rub
Der shoes when the ground is wet;
don't sit with wet shoes on; wear
an overcoat when you go out IN
the cold. 2. Avoid contact with
those suffering from influenza. APP
parently the disease is seldom
spread in the open out-of-doors.
Usually it is spread by the cough
ing and sneezing of patients with
"griD.' In the act of coughing
and sneezing the bacilli leave the
patients mouth as a spray, and
may travel five or ten feet before
settling. 1t is while floating in the
air that the bacteria may come to
rest in yonr nose or throat and
give you the disease. During in
auenza epidemics it is better to
avoid close contact with people
who have cough and to avoid
rooms where coughers and sneezers
are apt to congregate. 3. Take
care of yourself if you get the in
fuenza. If you begin to get a
"cold" see the doctor without de-
lay. He may not cure you right
away, but he Will often save you
from part of what is otherwise
coming to you. You get over 1.-THE
grip" faster by going to bed and
staying there a few days than you
do by fighting it on your feet.
- No drug clerk nor patent medicines
can cure your influenza for you.
There is no known drug which will
specifically cure influenza. 1t is
best controlled under wise medical
supervision. 4. Don't spread the
disease if you get it. Learn how
to cough and sneeze. Always bold
a handkerchief firmly over your
mouth and cough and sneeze into
the handkerchief. This entirely re-
moves the danger ofspreading your
germs to others during coughing and
sneezing. If you have the influenza
keep away from classes and movies,
and, in general, isolate yourself,
for several days, until your cough
ing and sn eezing can be restrained.