Williams news., 1918-10-18
UNCLE SAM'S.7 '' z. ADVICE ON FLU
U. s, Public Health Service Issues Official Health Bulletin
 on Influenza.

eantxed? ~
 There Is as yet no certain way fin which a single case of Spanish inf1u- enza' can be recognized. On the ott- 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 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 ly, ordinary colds do not spread through the community so rapidly or 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 fever in which the temperature rises to 100 to 1O4 In most cases the pulse remains relative ly slow.
 ''In appearance one is struck by the fact that the: patient looks sick. His eyes and the inner side of his eyelids may be slightly 'bioodshot' or con gested.' as the doctors say. There may be running from the nose, or there may be some cough. These signs of cold may not be marked: never theless the patient looks and feels very sick.
 "In addition to the appeafance and the symptoms as already described examinat tion 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 It is pOssi- ble that the laboratory investigations now being made through the National Research Council and the United States Hygienic Laboratory will fur nish a more certain way in which indi- vidual cases of this disease can be recognized"
 What Is the course of the disease? Do people die of it?
 "Or1inarily, 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 de1th oc- CUTS it Is usually the result of "a com plication."
 What causes the disease and how is It spread?
 ''Bacteriologists who have studied irl- f1uenza epidemics in the past have found in many of the cases a very Small rod-shaped germ called, after it's discoverer, Pfeifer's bacillus. In other cases of apparently the same kind of disease there were found pneumococci, the germs of lobar pneumonia. Still others have been caused by strepto- eocci, and by others germs with long names. f-., r...< -5r I
 "No matter what particular kind of germ causes the epidemic. it is now believed that Influenza 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. ferceful talking. and the like by one
  ease. They may also be carried about in the air in the form of dust coming from dried mucus, from coughing and sneezing, or from careless people who spit on the floor and on the sidewalk. AS in most other catching diseases, a person who has only mild attack of the disease himself may give a very severe attack to others"
 What should be done by those who catch the disease?
 ''It is very important that every per son who becomes sick with influenza l should go home at once and go to bed. 1 This will help keep away dangerous complications and will. at the same | time, keep the patient from scattering ] the disease far and wide. It is highly | desirable that no one be allowed to | sleep in the same room with the pa- tient. In fact, no one but the nurse | should be allowed in the room.
 eff there Is cough and sputum or running of the eyes and nose, care should be taken that all such dis charges are collected on bits of gauge or rag or paper napkins and burned. If the patient complains of fever and headache, he should be given water to drink, cold compress to the forehead and a light sponge. Only such medi- cine should be given as is prescribed by the doctor. It is foolish to ask the druggist to prescribe and may be dan gerous to take the so-called safe, sure and harmless remedies advertised by patent medicine manufacturers. '
 ''If the patient Is so situated that he can be attended only by some one who must also look after others in the fam fly, it is advisable that such attendant wear wrapper, apron or gown over