The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1916-01-14
|fPIDEN|G OF INFLUENZA
NOW IN TENNESSEE
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH ISSUES AN
ADVISORY BULLETIN
Mortality Rate Of Grip not Alarming
But Complications Are Many
and Serious-Two Pha-
ses of Disease.

The state board of health has issue,
the following statement upon the cpl
demic of influenza or grip that is yer,
prevalent now in all sections of th,
country and in many parts of Tennes
see.
"Since influenza is occurring in cpl.
demic form at various points in tn,
United States and 10 some parts o.
Tennessee. it would be well for The
public to exercise some simple preeau-
tionary measures. which would appre-
eiably diminish the prevalence Of the
disease.
The mortality rate of influenza is
not such as to cause great alarm, but
its complications are many and serious.
1.-The specific cause of influenza is a
germ which occurs in the nasal and
bronchial secretions of persons who
are suffering from an attack of the
disease. The germ also occurs in the
nasal and bronchial secretions of a
still greater number of persons who
are not Suffering from the disease in a
clinieally recognizable form. Such
persons are called carriers.
"No sharp differentiation has been
made between the germ which causes
the disease to occur in epidemic form
and the one which causes the OCCASION
al case in TIE community.
"There are, therefore, two sources
from which well person may contract
the disease, viz: A case and carrier.
''The carrier is considered to be by
far the most important of the two
sources; first, because there are so
many more germ carriers than there
are cases; secondly, because the car
rier is up ana around with no symp-
toms except probably slight nasal
catarrh, resembling a cold-with no
clinical evidence to indicate to him or
the persons with whom he comes in
contact that he is the carrier of Sc
rious infection. The case is usually
confined to the house, if not to the bed,
during the early stages of tue disease.
at whish time it is most infectious.
Influenza is not susceptible of ad-
control. To effectively
control the spread of the disease the
most important source Of infection
would have to be dealt with, which is
TO say that carriers would have to be
determined by meteorological investi-
CATION and then dealt with. Such a
task is so far beyond the possibilities
of an executive force as to be wholly
impracticable.
There are, however, many precau-
tionary measures which may be em..l
ployed. Persons with any simple ca
tarrhal affection should hold a hand !
kerchiefove the mouth and nose dur
ing the act of sneezing, A person
with the disease should be isolated |
from well persons in the home in so
far as practicable, especially in the
early stages. Great care should be
exercised in disposing of soled hand
kerchiefs and towels used by such a
person. Well persons may avoid con-
tact with a carrier by avoiding public
"Snce many persons harbor the in
lection without developing the disease,
The question of individual resistance
appears to play great part in deter
mining whether or not certain per-
son will develop the disease. Exposure,
living in rooms Improperly heated and
wearing improper clothing for the sea-
son appear to have an important bear
ng in destroying the resistance to in
lection. The disease will occur less
among persons properly
who live in rooms properly
heated and ventilated and who avoid
exposure in inclement weather.
1T is quite apparent that all pro-
ohylactic measures are of relative val
lie, that we have no preventive meas
Ire which can be relied upon to pro-
luce definite result.
THE individual must determine as
% whether or not he will take the haz-
trd OF an exposure to a carrier. He
must also determine the extent he will
arm himself with an individual resist
lnce which will prevent au attack by
he germ.
State Board of Health "
WOman's Growing Glory