The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-05
SPANISH INFLUENZA" - "THREE-DAY FEVER -
THE FLU"
United States Public Health Service

What is Spanish influenza Is it
something new Does il come from
Spain,
The disease now occurring in this
country and called Spanish infu-
enza" resembles a very contagious kind
! OF cold" accompanied by fever, pains
in the head, eyes, ears. back or other
parts OF the body. and "A feeling OF Sc
we're sickness. In most of the cases
the symptoms disappear after three or
four days, the patient then rapidly re-
covering; some OF the patients, how
ever. develop pneumonia or infiamma-
ton Of the car, or meningitis, and
many of these complicated cases die.
Whether this so-eaiied Spanish" in
ftuenza is Identical with the epidemics
of influenza OF earlier years is not yet
known.
Epidemics OF influenza have visited
this country since 1st1. II is interest
ing to know that this lrst epidemic was
brought here from Valencia, Spain.
Since that time there have been nu-
merous epidemics of the disease. In
1889 and 1890 an epidemic of influenza,
starting somewhere in the orient.
spread first to Russia. and thence over
practically the entire civilized world.
Three years later there was another
! Hare-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 II originated in
| Spain, Some writers who have studied
the question believe that the epidemic
! came from the Orient and they call at
! tention 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 influ-
enza" can be recognized: on the other
| hand, recognition is easy where there
is a group OF cases. In contrast to the
/ outbreaks OF ordinary coughs and colds,
! which usually occur in the cold months,
epidemics of influenza may occur at any
season 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 tfever. pain. de-
| pressionl are by no means as severe or
| as sudden in their onset as they are in
| influenza Finally. ordinary colds do
not spread through the community 10
rapidly or so extensively as does in
| nuenEa-
In most cases a person taken sick
! with influenza feels sick ratheg sud-
| denly He feels weak, has palms In
the eyes, ears. head or back and may
| be sore all over. Many patients feel
! dizzy. some vomit- Most Of the pa
TENTS complain Of feeling chilly. and
with this comes fever in which, the
temperature rises to 100 to 1o4- In
| most cases the pulse remains relatively
| slow.
! In appearance one is struck by the
| fact that the patient looks sick. His
! eyes and the inner side of his eyeiids
! may be sprightly "bloodshot." or CON
gested." as the doctors say. There may
be running from the nose, or there may
be some cough. These signs OF colo
| may not be marked: nevertheless the
| patient looks and feels very sick.
In addition to the appearance and
the symptoms as already described. ex-
amino alton Of the patients blood may
aid the physician in recognising span :
| ish infuenxa." for II has been found
| that in this disease the number OF
! crease above the normal. 1t Is posi-
bic that the laboratory Investigations
now being made through the national
! research council and the United states
hygienic laboratory viii 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 tho patient RECEIVERS.
Rut 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 nu-
merous. When death occurs II Ia usually
| the result Of . complication.
| What causes the disease and how Is
1T spread?
| Ractertoloxtsts Who have studied In
F.! fluenzA epidemics In the past have
found In many Of the cases very
small rod-shaped germ called. after its
discoverer, Pfeifer's bacillus. In other
cases Of apparently the same kind OF
disease there we're found pneumococ0
| the germs Of lobAr pneumonia still
others have besn caused BY sersptococci
| and BY other gayms with long nAmeA
Ne mattnr what DArticulag kid I