The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-26

the Spanish influenza. One begins
with chills or chilliness, which may
| be slight There will be what APP
pears TO be an ordinary cold catar-
rhal. with coughing and sneezing,
headache. hackache, fever and pros
ttration. Both forms may be marked
by nausea and vomiting.
! There Is no drug preventive and
There Is no specific remedy although
the specific bacillus has been isolated.
! Treatment should follow in general
the course OF putting the patient to
bed imin ediately and keeping him
there TIL he is cured, both for his
own sake and for the sake of the
com munity, so that he cannot merely
get Better and go out and infect
others.
The initial treatment should be a
saline purgative or caiomel Aspirin,
five to ten grains, may be given to
irelieve the aches and pains. A warm
bath, also will prove comforting and
a check on pain, but great care must
be taken to keep the patient from be
coming cold. The patient must stay
indoors
"A light diet should he given, such
as pasteurized milk, beef broth. soft
boiled eggs and toast For those with
weak hearts, there should be added
a stimulant.
ITO prevent children becoming in
fected they should be kept from places
of congregation, where some of them
are certain to fall victims to the dis
ease. ! have been asked If the schools
should he closed in the District of
Columbia. Ny. advice Is 10 wait till
the schools are TO open.
Although cannot see the need
now of closing the schools, my ad-
vice to parents is to use their own
judgment The conditions are plain.
The disease is spread by crowds, and
IL children are sent to school they
may contract the disease This APP
plies, of course, TO any other places
of Notwithstanding the children
from school and letting them go to
the movies or theaters hardly would
protect them.
Fresh Air for Children.
ITO the fullest extent possible, the
children should be allowed. however,
plenty of fresh air and outdoor play
lin good weather. Keeping them in
doors in superheated rooms. lays the
foundation for influenza and all other
Icatarrahal troubles.
The bacillus As short-lived. and
air and sunshine will kill il. 1t will
live for days in a moist handkerchief,
however, and all cloths used by n pa
tent should be boiled If not burned.
Il am in favor OF requiring that a
germ culture from each patient be
free of the Spanish influenza bacillus
before the patient he advised by his
physician TO go back again into the
com munity."
Another means of combating the
spread of the disease is announced by
the Washington chapter of the Red
Cross in the form of a germ mask.
THE device is a modified form of the
gas mask IT is made of four layers
OF thin, clean gauze, arranged so as
to cover the mouth and nose of the
wearer and designed to act as filter
against germs.
/ 1t is stated that the Potomac di-
vision of the Red Cross has ordered
| AZ, 900 of the masks for use of the
soldiers in training in the vicinity of
! Washington and for patients at the
/ Walter Reed Hospital in this city, Al
ready 100 OF them have been sent TO
the hospital. They now are being
made by prominent women of Wash
ington at the local surgical dressing
station OF the Red Cross.