The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-28

ARE YOU AFRAID? - would hardly dare to tell you how many letters I have received from all parts of the country. About the so-called flu" The great majority of the let ters ask the same question. 'Is the present epidemic of influenza any different from the old fashioned epi- demic known as lagrippe, or in fact is 1t anything different from a severe cold. I have studied much upon these questions, and I believe l can answer them correctly I also believe that you and thousands of othersS will be directly benfeted by the answer.
 It Is a fact that there have been vastly more casualties from the terri ble epidemic than from the war. Even in our own country where the disease started only & few months ago, the direct mortality has been several times gJeater than the deaths in battle and while the war is prac- tically over, the deaths from the flu continue.
 Now to my answer. The epidemic IS, 1 DGAeF0J IlOI ullLSI SI1L II OAlA An grippe or severe colds but the people are vastly different from what they were during former epidemics of similar nature. Perhaps you have noticed that a great majority of the deaths have occurred among the younger members of adults, more among men than women. You will remember that in 1891-92, a great majority of the deaths were among the old people. Now as a matter of fact there are probably just as many there were then, but as there are such a tremendous number of younger people laid low at the same time we have not noticed the deaths among the old.
 At meeting just held in Chicago by the Public Health Association the statement was made by one physician that there were probably 100000 peo- pie in Chicago that could be made seriously i'll by fear. The war has caused a spasm of contagious fear spread over all the world. On ac- count of their own immediate asso- CldllOu WILL lll0 CduoG OA lIllS 4CelA it has been greatest among men in the training camps. Now this is no reflection upon the men or their courage. Our American soldiers have proven that their courage is equal to that of any other men on earth, but when you get the greatest battle hero right down to brass tacks and he Bells you of his actual sensa- tions when going into his first battle; he will confess that he was so scared l that at times he knew actually noth- l ing of what was going, on around him. | Now as a matter of fact, the most | dangerous fear is that of the un- 1 known, to be kept inactive and in sus- pense will reduce the vitality, lower the resistance to disease more quickly than any other kind of fear. The soldier in action quickly rallies and his fear disappears. The soldier in a detention camp who sees the dead wagon backed up to the tents of his comrades every morning and scores of bodies carried away, feels that the power of the invisible and unknown is far beyond control, and he gives way to worry and fear. His environ men is conducive to contagion and l when attacked by a cold his fighting
 courage has already been killed by fear
 know a widow, the picture of | health, she had two sons, both | promptly enlisted, splendid fellows
 I had known them from childhood
 The oldest died of pneumonia fl
 camp on the Mexican border shortly
 after war was declared on Germany
 The other son passed away rapidly
 from private up to captain and was
 sent to the front in France. He was
 among the first of the wounded, but
 made a quick recovery. and was soor
 back at the front and again wound
 ed.
 His cheerful letters home were very
 helpful to the mother, who was a
 the head of the war mothers associa,
 ton in her city Shortly after the bis
 drive toward victory he was killed ir
 action and after the news came to the mother, she soon became i'll. LovinG
 hands administered to her and every
 thing possible was done, but, strons
 vigorous woman that she was, deatl
 soon took her to be with her boys
 Worry and fear are not the onl! things that are responsible for thu
 lowered vitality of the people and tn consequent high mortality rate iron
 pneumonia preceded by colds. Tn, radical changes in diet made neces
 sary by the war, without prope knowledge as to a balanced ratiol
 with the new foods, the lack of suga and fats, all combined to aid fear ant worry. Disease, insanity and deatl
 among all of the people are the by products of war. Let us use the brail
 that God gave us and see to it tha there shall be no more robbery an murder committed under the nam s of war.
 r Don't worry! Don't fear! Easy { g say, hard to practice. Think righ : and you will live right. Eat right = you want health.