The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-04

Editor Of the Reformer:
During the last ten days ! have had
many stters and telephone calls from
patients, now living in rural districts,
inquring Of me about our new epidemic,
and the best means of caring for il when
unable 20 obtain the services of some
physician. To write them all would be
quite task, but with your permission
! will give some of the essential points.
! have been criticised and chastised by
many people for reporting these cases
to the hoard Of health, and ] dare say
many 81 my Professional friends have
suffered likewise.
It's History.
We will 90 back to the seventeenth
century:
INFLUENZA tsyn. grip la grippel
term applied to an infectious febrile
disorder due to specific bacillus. char
actcrized specially by catarrh of the
respiratory passages and alimentary ca
nal, and occurring mostly as an epidem-
ic The Italians in the seventeenth cen
fury ascribed il To the influence of the
stars. hence the name influenza" The
French name grippe came into use IN
t143. and those of petite poste" and
petite courier" in 1862. while general"
became another synonym in 1850. APP
parcntly the disease was common; in
1902 and 1857 the sittings of the Paris
law courts had to be suspended through
IL. and in l427 sermons had to be aban-
doncd through the coughing and sneez-
ing: i'm 1910 masses could not be sung.
Epidcmics occurred in 1850 and cir ces-
aation was supposed to be connected
with earthquakes and volcanic erup
tious.
The disease Is referred to in the works
of the ancient physicians and accurate
descriptions of it have been given by
medical writers during the last three
centuries. These various accounts agree
substantially in their narration of the
phenomena and course Of the disease,
and influenza has in all times been re.
gardcd as fulfilling all the conditions
Of an epidemic i'm its sudden invasion.
and rapid and extensive spread. Those
conditions existed in 1862, 1882, 1903,
1893, 1887, ls47. IL appeared in fleets
az sea away from all communication
with land and to such an extent as to
disable them temporarily for service.
Like cholera and plague, influenza re-
appeared in the last quarter of the 18th
century after an interval of many
wears, in epidemic or rather pandemic
form. In lS4S, 1868 deaths were due
directly 20 influenza in England and
Wales During the next decade the NOR
tality dropped rapidly, and continued
down 60 the year 1889, in which only
80 deaths were ascribed TO this cause
This was the lowest record in any year
since the registrar generals returns be
gan. Epidemic influenza has been oh
served during the period of allegiance
asa i'm Norfolk in 1878 and Yorkshire il
1857. Is.
According to the exhaustive repor
drawn a. by DR. H. Franklin Parsoi
for the local government board, III
earliest appearances were observed il
MAY 1889 and three localities are men
toned a. affected at the same time, al
widely Separated from each other, DO
ltharn in Central Asia, northwest terri
tories OF Canada, and Greenland. Abop
the middle of October of the same yea
IL was reported in Siberia, and st. Ia
tcrsburg., During November Russia be
came generally affected and cases weF
noticed in Paris. Berlin, Vienna, Lor
don, aud jamaica. In December epi
dpuic .influenza became cstablishe
over the whole of Europe along tn
Mediterranean, in Egypt. and over
large area in the United States. j
London the full onset of unmistakabl
influenza dated from The LIST Of JanI
airy, 1890. Everywhere il seems 10 hav
exhibited the same explosive charaetC
when once fully established In ls9
Canada, the United States, Algiers, tt
mis-, Cairo, Corsica Sicily. Mexico, I'll
West Indies and many towns in Emf
land were severely affected.
The localities attacked by influen7
IN 1889 and 1890, appear in no case
have suffered severely for more tha
u month or six weeks. In 1891, il a
pcarcd again in the United States.
was reported from Chicago and 9th
large towns in the central states.
1892 influenza was again reported
Peru and various places in Europe.
1893 1891, 1895, 1896, there were cor
paratiyely few cases. In 1898, al
again in 1899 il was very severe
England and Wales. The experiences
other countries have been very simila
they have all been subjected to period
rrvivals Of epidemic influenza.
In Europe il has prevailed more {
ten in winter than in summer viii
may be due to the greater suscep
bility of persons in winter, or mo
probably. to the fact that they cong
gate more in buildings and are less
the open air, during that part of I
year No doubt is any longer emit
tanned Of its infectious charact
though the degree Of infeetivity {
pears TO vary considerably. Many ca'
have been recorded of individuals
Producing it into houses, and of all
most of the other inmates then TAXI