The spectator., 1918-10-11

that ID this disease the number of white corpuscles shows little or no in- crease above the normal It Is possi. ble that the laboratory investigations now being made through the National Research Council and the United States Hygienic Laboratory will fur
 nish more certain way in which indi-
 vidual cases of this disease can be recoguized.'
 What 10 the eourss ef the dlsease2 De people die Of it,
 Ordinarily, the fever lasts from
 three to four days and the patient re-
 covers. But while the proportion of deaths in the present epidemic has generally been low. in some places the outbreak has been severe and deaths have been numerous When death oc-
 CUTS 1t ia usually, the result of com plicstiOn." What causes the dlssass and how ls h spreadf
 "BacteriolOgists who have studied in- Auenxa epidemics in the past have found In many of the cases very Small rod-shaped germ called. after its discoversr, Pfeiffer's bacillus. In other cases of apparently the same kind of disease there were found pnsumocOcci, the germs of lobar pneumonia. Still others have been caused by strepto- cocci. and by others germs with long names.
 "No matter what particular kind of germ causes the epidemic, it Is now
 believed that influenza Is always spread from person to person, the germs being carried with the air along with the very small droplets of mucus,
 expelled by coughing or sneezing, forceful talking. and the like by one
 who already has the germs of the dis ease. They may also be carried about in the air in the form of dust coming from dried mucus, from coughing and sneezing, or from careless people who spit 0u the hoor and on the sidewalk. AS ip most other catching diseases, a
 person who has only . mild attack of
 the disease himself may give very seveve attack to others"
 What shouId bs dons by thoss who catch the dissass?
 Tt 10 very important that every per son who becomes sick with Influenza should go home at once and go to bed. This will help keep away dangerous complications and will. at the same | time, keep the patient from scattering the disease far and wide. IL Is highly desirable that no one be allowed to sleep in the same room with the pa tent. in fact. no one but the nurse
 should bs allowed in the room, If there ls cough and sputum or running of the eyes aud nose. care should bs taken that all such dis charges are collected on bits of gauge or rag or paper napkins and burned If the patient complains of fever and headache. he should be given water to driak. . cold compress to the forehead
 and light sponge. Only such medi- cine should be given as is prescribed by the doctor. It is foolish to ask the druggist to prescribe and may be dan
 garous to take the sO-called safe, sure and harmless' remedies advertised by
 patent medicine manufacturers.
 If the patient is 90 situated that he
 can be attended only by some one who
 must also look after othes in the fam fly. it is advisable that such attendant wear . wrapper, apron or gown over
 the ordinary house clothes while in the
 sick room aud clip this ofr when less-
 ing to look after the others
 "Nurses and attendants will do well to guard against breathing in danger
 ous disease germs by wearing a simple
 fold of gauss e mask while near the patient"
 Wtn psrseW ~hs has had Influenza
 bssers catch the diseass again?
 Ut is well known that an attack of
 measles or scarlet fever or smallpox
 usually protects person against an-
 other attack of the same disease. This appears not to be true of Spanish in
 auenza' According to newspaper re-
 ports the King of Spain suffered an
 attack of influenza during the cpl
 demic thirty years ago, and was again
 stricken during the recent outbreak in
 Spain"
 Nov eAa eMs ouard aoaipst lnfiu-