East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-10-16
cold accompanied BY fever, pains


As Daneerous as Poison Gas Shells
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 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 inhuen-
"a of earlier years is not yet known.
"Epidemics of Influenza have visited
this country since 1647. 1t 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
was another fiare-up of the disease
Both times the epidemic spread wide
ly over the United States
Although the present epidemic is
called Spanish influenza 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
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 rspanIsh influenza" be rec
ognlzed7
There is as yet no certain way in
which a single case of Spanish infiu-
enza' can be recognized. On the 9TH
er hand, recognition is easy where
there is group of cases. In contrast
to the outbreaks of ordinary coughs
and colds, which usually occur in the
cold months, epldemics Of influenza
may occur at any season Of the year.
Thus the present epidemic ragged most
intensely in Europe in May, June and
July. Moreover, IN the case of ordi-
nary colds, the general symptoms
(fever, pain, depression) are by no
means as severe or as sudden in their
onset as they are IN Influenza. Final
Iy, ordinary colds do not spread
through the community so rapidly or
80 extensively as does influenza. 7
"In most cases person taken sick
Eith 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 vornit Most of the pa
tients complain OF feeling chilly, and
with this comes q fever inswhich the
temperature rises to 100 10 104 In
most cases the pulse remains relative
ly slow. t5s.2 "a.
"In appearance one IS struck by the
fact that the patient looks sick. His
eyes and the inner side Of iis eyelids |
may be Slightly 'bloodshot,A or con
gested, as the doctors say. There
may be running from the nose or
there may be some cough. These signs
of a cold may not be marked; never
theless the patient looks and feels very
sick.
I'm addition to the appearance and |
the symptoms as already described, |
examination of the patients blood may !
aid the physician IN recognizing Span
ish Influenza for It has been found |
that in this disease the number OF |
white corpuscles shows little or no in |
crease above the normal. 1t is posi- |
BILE that the laboratory investigations |
now being made through the National |
Research Council and the United |
States Hygienic Laboratory viii fur
nish more certain way in which indi- !
vidual cases Of this disease can be
recognized"
What 10 the course Of the dlsease9
Do people die Of III
~ordlnarily, 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- |
ours Il is usually the result of COM |
plication."
What causes the disease and how 10
II spread7
"Bscteriologists who have studied in
fiuenza epidemics in the past have
found In many OF the cases a very |
Small rod-shaped germ called, after its
discoyerer. Pfeiffers bacillus. In other
cases OF apparentlytthe same kind OF
disease there were found pneumococci,
the germs OF lobar pneumonia. sull
others have been caused by strepto-
cocci, and by others germs with long
names.
mo matter what particular kind OF
germ causes the epidemic, II is now
believed that inhhenza 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.
foreaful 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 mucuR, from coughing and
sneeEing, or from careless people who
splt on the floor and on the sidewalk. |
As In most other catching diseases
person who has only a mild attack OF