The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-12-27
Have You the Flue?


csmusn ceias Highly catchins--IB
ssrsancs % suitahls Clothing Could
ssys fs9yo Lives
Warrington, ID. C.-with the s,lbsid
snee of the epidemic of influenza he
attention of health officers Is directed
Go pneumonia, bronchitis ana other
diseases of tho respiratory system
which regularly cause large number
az 6eaths, especially during the winter
season. According TO Rupert Blue
Surgeon General OF the United states
Public Health Service, These diseases
win bs especially prevalent this win
ter unless the people are particularly
careful TO obey health Instructions.
THIS present epidemic, said Sur
Ksen General Blue, +has taught by bit
tor experiences how readily a condition
bsginning apparently as a slight cold
may 80 On to pneumonia and death.
Although the worst of the epidemic Is
sysr, theirs win continue to be large
nanber OF scattered cases, many of
them mild and unrecognized, which
VIA ass &MAMEA HROLS " bC Eh<AAht1N
against" This Surgeon General likened
tho present situation TO that after a
srsat are. saying, mo fire chief who
Understands his business stops playing
the hose on the charred debris as soon
Rs the Games and visible hre have dis
appeared. On the contrary, he con
sinnes the water for hours and even
days. for he knows that there is dan-
ger of the 6re rekindling from smol-
daring eInbegs"
Then you fear another outbreak Of
induenga9" be was asked. "Not neces-
saFsly another large epidemic" said
the Surgeon General, "but unless the
people learn to realize the seriousness
pay heavy death toll from pneumo
MIA and other respiratory diseases.
csmmsn csIds Highly Catching.
nIt ia encouraging to observe that
people are beginning TO learn that or.
dinary coughs and colds are highly
catching and are spread from person
80 person by means of droplets of
germ laden mucus. Such droplets are
sprayed into the air when careless or
ignorant people cough or sneeze with
cur covering their mouth and nose. 1T
is slso good to know that people have
learned something about the value Of
fresh air. In summer. when people
are largely ont of doors. the reapira-
kary Diseases @eoushss colds, pneusaoz
Ria, etc.l ars infrequent; In the fall,
"a people begin to remain indoors, The
respiratory diseases increase; in the
winter, when people are prone TO stay
In badly ventilated. oyerheated rooms.
the respiratory diseases become very
prevalent.
Suitable ClethIng Important
"StilI another factor in the Rrodue-
lion of colds, pneumonia and other re,
sptFatory diseases is carelessness or ig-
noraRce OF the people regarding suit
able clothing during the seasons when
the weather suddenly changes, sitting
In warm rooms too heavily dressed or
what is even more common, especially
smoug women, dressing so lightly that
windows are kept closed in order 10 be
comfortably warm. This Is very in
Jurions practice.
csuld save 100 1000 Lives.
II believe we could easily save ons
hundred thousand lives annually il
the United States If all the peopls
would adopt the system of fresh ali
living followed, for example, in tuber
cniosis sanatoria. There is nothins
mysterious about it-no specific medi
cine. no vaccine. The important thin.
10 right living, good food and plenty o
fresh air
srspIst infscslsn Explained in Pictures
sThe Bureau Of Public Health
Treasury Department, has Just issuee
striking poster drawn by Bergman
fhs well-knowp Washington cartoonist
The poster exemplities the modern
@sthod of health education. 4 few
years ago, under similar circumstances
the health authorities would have is
sued sn Official dry but selentiicall,
accurate bulletin teaching. the role o
droplet Infection In the spread If re
sptratory diseases. The only ones wh'
would have understood the bulletiI
would have been those who alrsad.
knew all about the subject. The maj
in the street, the plain citizen and th,
many millions who toll for their liylnl
would have had no time and no desir
to wade through the technical phrase
elogy."
IICE