El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-03
To Keep The FIN
Away Keep Ont
Of Close Places
Plenty Of All, Good Food
and Care May Save You
From the Disease.
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN-

nv FREDERIC J. HASRIN.
washington D. c.. Oct. with the 1
ravares Of Spanish Influenza stiu on (
( the spread. and the germ Of the dis /
ease still eluding the scientists, there /
/ is a general impression abroad that I
civilization has been visited by a new /
and dreadful malady.
Now. there is some question as 10 !
whether Spanish influenza can be ]
/ called a dreadful malady-" Certainly
If Is more sinister than its small broth I
~ the common cold" but, by the
same token. Il is surely less terrible
Than its vindictive sisters, neumonla
, and pleurisy- BL-, according 20
@ enecfe5fsts in respiratory diseases Lne
4 sfsff Of me surgeon general Of the
United States army, the pubic hedllh
s service and nearly every reulaDle
p physician in the country there IS
no earthly reason Tor calling II new
The first association OF the olsease
with the country of spain seems 70
] have been in 1857. when nearly the
4 entire nation was stricken sore with
: shifting. sneeZing, coughing ana the
p like" An interesting manuscript
published in London in tis by Dr-
T, Thomas Short and entitled "A Cen
/, eraI Chronological History OF the AIT,
I Weather. Seasons, AIeteors. &c re-
b. lates that in 1871 at Mantua Carpen-
taria. three miles from Madrid, the
) epidemic began in August and Dleed-
i ing and purging was so dangerous
that in the small town more than -1vv
e were let blood Of and all died There,
G. II began with a roughness Of the jaws,
% a small cough. then strong IeVer WIN
E a pain Of the head, back and legs;
S some felt as though they were coraeo
over the breast, and had weight al
81 safn Hrrr % a
7 till the third day when the fever went
: off with a sweat or bleeding At the
e nose. In some few il turned 10
= pleurisy or fatal peripneumony-
4 These symptoms correspond pretty
e faithfully with those reported Of vic
Tins in this country at the present
Once In United States.
Another epidemic seized Spain in
the year 1876. and the chronicles OF
q the early Plymouth colony record how
a a malign disease Of the respiratory
l.. organs WIS carried into New England
by cargo ship from Valencia Sew
T. eraI PILGRIMS died OF IL. Following
: these first seizures in 1864, intermit-
Il tent epidemics occurred in this cOun-
try with reasonable frequency Medi-
- cal books detail them as having taken
/ place a dozen times in the last two
i Between 1859 and 1898 there was a
lull in the influenza outbreaks In
l. the latter year. however, came sud
<. denly the widespread grip epidemic
Y, This epidemic, according TO bacteria
Il. logists, had its origin somewhere in
the Orient. whence II found its way
n into Russia and then into the rest Of
Europe, and, finally, into the United
States. II is much like influenza
Treating Influenza.
n It was during the epidemic OF 1853
y 90 that the greatest advances IN the
NJ treatment of influenza were made. 4
German scientist named Pfeiffer sue
ceeded in isolatinE a bacillus TO which
oil was given the name Pfeiffer's baccil-
q lus. Until a few years ago IL was
81 devoutly believed by physicians 10 be
ISL the sole cause Of influenza.
nj Spanish doctors are vehement in
Z their denial that the disease. which
e. has already taken a toll in the United
= States. originated in their country
\, The facts seem to bear them out II
=, is generally known that an influanZa
- epidemic occurred during the summer
= Of 1917 in nearly all Of the south Eu-
y. fropean countries, and in the fan and
- winter of l917-1S reached the western
% front and sent many soldier into Z
base hospital for brief respite
Among the soldiers It took the name
Of Three Day Fever" or The Flu;
g the latter being an ahridgement FOL
- influenza which was deemed too high
~ brow and cumbersome for trench use
81 As early as 1916 the disease was re
J. ported on the eastern front by German
~ physicians. Its appearance in New
as York came late this summer
r Brought Over the Sea.
" Psychologists Of the United State
he are agreed that influenza has beel
er carried here from some foreign coun
try-though they are not prepared [
ly say the country is Spain However
s. they are more concerned in discover
2 ing the cause Of the disease than Il
y place OF origin American physician
seem TO be at loggerheads as
whether or not the germ which is re
~ sponsible for the epidemic is III
! same as the one DR.. Pfeiffer i'm
+ol prisoned under his microscope q quar-
80 ter century ago
- Surgeon general Rupert Blue, OF h
- ! United States public health servic
al said: THAT the epidemic OF 1S9
- which swept a large part OF EuroE
81 and this country was caused by yer
minute bacterium, commonly Gale
~ Pfeiffer's bacillus, is undoubted- He
- on the other hand we have toun
me fairly extensive outbreaks OF an II
fluenza like disease which were Gel
10 tainly not due TO this bacterium. II
Or fluenza-or seeming influenza
70 known 10 have been caused by n
SEQ pneumocci, the germ Of lobar pneumC
a 5 MIA"
Warning TO the Public.
The public health service is carry
ing on a campaign OF public instru'
- ton Through the press, and throus
Nj community health boards, It is ac
o-. ministering advice IN the matters
~ prevention and treatment In q shol
aso time railroad staLlons, postoLLlcss -
5ar other public buildings throughout II
OF country viii display posters settin
srvi off the value Of personal hygiene
Ten aThe disease now running over
asst the country" the contemplated
vas poster reads, -is highly contagious
os- and may attack yOunr community
asti ut any moment. And, unless Won
er'sI are very careful, # may attack
you and your family. Remember