The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-16

in the head, eyes, ears, back or other parts of the body and feeling of se- were sickness. In most of the cases the symptoms disappear after three or four days, the patient then rapidly recover ing. Some of the patients, however, develop pneumonia, or inflammation of the ear, or meningitis, and many of these complicated cases die. Whether this so-called Spanish influenza is identical with the epidemics of infuen. ga of earlier years is not yet known.
 "Epidemics of influenza have visited this country since 1647. It is interest ing to know that this first epidemic was brought here from Valencia, Spain. Since that time there have been numerous epidemics of the dis ease. In 1889 and 1890 an epidemic of influenza, starting somewhere in the Orient spread first to Russia and thence over practically the entire civ ilized world. Three years later there ndo dlOlhCI h0AC-up OA NAoOOoCs Both times the epidemic spread wide ly over the United States.
 Although the present epidemic is called Spanish infuenza,' there is no reason to believe that 1t originated in Spain. Some writers who have studied the question believe that the epidemic came from the Orient and they call at Ao fa aoH ho+ e mention the disease as occurring along the eastern front in the summer and fall of 1917."
 How can Spanish influenza" be rec egnized7
 "There is as yet no certain way in which a single case of Spanish inf1u- enza' can be recognized. On the oth- CT 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 Europe in May, June and 1 July. Moreover, in the case of ordi nary colds. the general symptoms (fever, pain, depression) are by nc means as severe or as sudden in theil onset as they are in influenza. Final ly, ordinary colds do not spread through the community so rapidly ol so extensively as does influenza.
 "In most cases a 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 patients feel dizzy, some vomit Most of the pa tients complain of feeling chilly, and with this comes a fever in which the temperature rises to 100 to 104. h most cases the pulse remains relative ly slow.
 "In appearance one is struck by the fact that the patient looks sick. Hi: eyes and the inner side of his eyelidE may be slightly 'bloodshot,' or con gested,' as the doctors say. Thert may be running from the nose, o there may be some cough. These signi of cold may not be marked; never theless the patient looks and feels yer, sick.
 I "In addition to the appearance anc 2 the symptoms as already described 2 examination of the patients blood na, $ aid the physician in recognizing Span t lSh ipfluenza, for 1t has been f0un that in this disease he number O white Corpuscles shows little or no in crease above the normal. It is possi ble that the laboratory investigation
 now being made through the Nationa Research Council and the United
 States Hygienic Laboratory will fur s nish more certain way in which indi r vidual cases of this disease can b,
 recognized"
 g What is the course of the disease Do people dle of it? "a
 Ordinarily, the fever lasts fror
 three to four days and the patient re l covers. But while the proportion 0
 deaths in the present epidemic ha