Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-30

| As the so called Spanish lnuueNza'
according to medical testimony, is 10
sweep the west il is we'll TO keep
posted on its symptoms and methods OF
treatment.
! Early last May dispatches from
Madrid told Of a mysterious malay
which was raging through Spain IN
the form and Of the character OF the
grippe. Not long altef, as similar
! epidemic took hold in Switzerland ana
penetrated simultaneously In mild and
| Isolated forms into France, England
and Norway. Eearly in August TINS
disease. carried from Europe in ocean
| liners and transports, began 10 make
/ its appearances In this country. ana
| within the past two weeks the occur
rences of the malady in the civilian
Ipopulation and among the soldiers N
! the environments have increased so
greatly in number that government.
state, and municipal health bureaus
are now mobilizing all their forces to
combat what they recognize TO De an
| approaching epidemic OF a socallec
l-'Spanish influenza"
What is Spanish influenza, and what
are its symptoms? Although clinical
and bacteriological Investigations Of the
disease are still in their early STAGES
the medical profession believes It has
already arrived at certain unsuitable
conclusions in the matter. In the nrsI
place Spanish influenza, il not the
grip itself. is accompanied by all the
SYMPTOMS Of the grippe, and differs
| from this disease only in that il is more
severe and is more likely to LEAD 10
pneumonia, II not checked in time, than
| the less virulent form Of influenza
which goes by the name Of the grippe.
As with the grippe. the disease is char
acterized by excessive sneezing,' red DEN
| ing and running of the eyes, running OF
the nose, chills followed by fever OF
from 101 to 1V3 degrees. aching back
and points. loss Of appetite, and a gen.
eral feeling OF debility.
| If properly treated. the malady can be
overcome without much difficulty. Sur
geon General Blue Of the public health
| service. in a report issued several days
ago. advises that persons so attacked
should go to their homes at once, get
to bed without delay, and place them
selves under the immediate care OF
physician. Treatment under the direc-
ton Of a physician is simple, but I'M
portant.. consisting principally OF resi-
In bed. fresh air. abundant food. with
Dovee powders for the relief OF pain
Every case with fever should be regard
ed as serious. and such patient should
1 not leave the bed until a normal tenn
perature is restored. Convalescence re-
uuire careful treatment to avoid serious
combinations. such as bronchial pneu-
nonia During the present outbreak, IN
foreign countries, quinine and aspirin
have been most generally used during
the acute attack.
The history and ARCHAEOLOGICAL char
acter of Spanish influenza are still I'M
certain Few Of the cases under obser-
vation have revealed the presence OF
the influenza bacillus which would be
REQUIRED 10 Bear crrt the contention
that Spanish influenza - nothing more
than the classified influenza, or grippe.
which had its origin in Russia in 1883.
The designation OF the new malady as
Spanish influenza" Is purely arbitrary.
The rnalady has not been definitely
tracked to Spain. further than that 1t
-, was in Spain. early this year, that this
particular form first obtained a hold.
Spain disclaimed the unwelcome
guest. The people leaped at the con-
clusion that this new evil. like other
evils Of the war, must be traced to
! German origins Hence two theories
presented themselves. One was that
a new trench bacteria must have been
born in the German lines, where the
troops, poorly fed and clotAsd. were
living in a reduced state of vitality,
and that this bacteria must have been
carried from Flanders into Spain by
the strong winds to the Spanish coast
last winter While this theory would
explain the subsequent appearance OF
the new influenza among the allied
troops, 1t would hardly be as applicable
i TO Spain, because Madrid, a city Of the
interior. was in the grip Of the disease
long before any Of the coast towns were
even touched.
| The other theory was that the disease
was carried into Spain by the crews OF
German submarine boats, just as the
bacteria OF yellow fever were believed
y to have been created out OF the filthy
and crowded conditions Of the old slave
ships.
This theory, IN the opinion OF medical
scientists, must be accepted as ingeni-
Gus rather than probable. It has not
been definitely concluded that Spanish
influenza is anything more than the
familiar grippe.
| 1t. Is fairly certain that the Spanish
! influenza, II different from the fa-
miliar grippe, originated in the German
lcamps. In this connection it may be
noted that through all the wars OF his
tory diseases generated by unsanitary
lherding OF men in the camps OF bell
Iligerents have always produced cpl
denies which before that time had been
Little or not at all known to- many Of
49, r.ov.,1a t;l,na AFFECTED Going faI