The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-10-18

something new? Does il come from
Spain?
The disease now occurring in this
country and called Spanish lnflu-
enza" resembles q very contagious
kind of cold" accompanied by fever.
pains in the head, eyes, ears, back or
other parts Of the body, and a feel
ing Of severe sickness. In most Of
the cases the symptoms disappear
after three or four days. the patient
then rapidly recovering; some Of the
patients. however, develop pneumon-
ia. or inflammation Of the ear, or
meningitis, and many of these COM
plcated cases die. Wether this So
called Spanish" influenza is identi-
cal with the epidemics Of influenza
Of earlier years is not yet known.
Epidemics of influenza have visit
ed this country since l647. 1t is
interesting to know that this first
epidemic was brought here from Va
lencia, Spain. Since that time there
have been numerous epidemics of
the disease. In 1889 and 1890 an
epidemic of influenza, starting some
where in the Orient, spread first to
Russia, and thence over practically
the entire civilized world. Three
years later there was another flare
up of the disease. Both times the
epidemic spread widely over the
United States.
Although the present epidemic is
called Spanish Influenza" there is
no reason to believe that it originated
in Spain. Some writers who have
studied the question believe that the
epidemic came from the Orient and
they call attention to the fact that
the Germans mention the disease as
occurring along the eastern front
in the summer and fall of 1917.
How can Spanish influenza" be
recognized?
There is as yet no certain way in
which a single case of Spanish in
fiuenza" can be recognized; on the
other hand, recognition is easy where
there is a group of cases. In con-
trast to the outbreaks of ordinary
coughs and colds, which usually oc-
cur in the cold months, epidemics
of influenza may occur at any sea-
son of the year, thus the present
epidemic ragged most intensely in Eu-
rope in May, June, and July More
over, in the case of ordinary colds,
the general symptoms (fever, pain,
depression) are by no means as Sc
we're or as sudden in their onset as
they are in influenza. Finally, or
binary colds do not spread through
the community so rapidly or so ex-
tensively as does influenza.
In most cases person taken sick
with influenza feels sick rather sud-
denly. He feels weak, has pains in
the eyes, ears, head or back, and
may be sore all over. Many pa
tients feel dizzy, some vomit. Most
of the patients complain of feeling
chilly, and with this comes a fever
in which the temperature rises to
100 to 1O4. In most cases the
T1lse remains relatively slow.
In appearance one is struck by the
fact that the patient looks sick. His
eyes and the inner side of his eye
lids may be slightly 'bloodshot," or
"congested," as the doctors say.
There may be running from the nose,
or there may be some cough. These
signs of cold may not be marked;
nevertheless the patient looks and
feels very sick.
In addition to the appearance and
the symptoms as already described,
examination of the patients blood
may aid the physician in recognizing
Spanish Influenza" for it has been
A'uIu IHdI III CHlS ulSedSe Cne num-
Der of white corpuscles shows little
or no increase above the normal. 1t
is possible that the laboratory in
vestigations now being made through
the National Research Council and
the United States HYGIENE Labora-
tory will furnish a more certain
way in which individual cases of this
disease can be recognized.
What is the course of the disease?
Do people die of it?
Ordinarily, the fever lasts from
three to four days and the patient
RECEIVERS. 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.
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