Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-10-10
SPANISH FLU" :
HERE In AUDUBON
BUT FEW CASES REPORTED AND
1T is THOUGHT THERE WILL
BE NO SPREAD.


DR.. Grimes, a noted Des Moines
physician, has just returned from St.
Louis, where he attended the Mis-
sissippi valley tuberculosis confer
ence. A special session was held for
the discussion of Spanish influenza. A
number of army surgeons who have
had occasion to observe thousands
of cases of the malady were present
and gave their views, as was also
the head of the United States public
health service.
1T was predicted at this meeting
that a large percentage of the pop
ulation is going to be affected by
the disease this season." said DR..
Grimes. According to the army
surgeons the government has al
ready handled 100000 cases. All the
conditions seem to be favorable to
the development OF an epidemic that
will sweep the entire country"
Cites Army Cases.
Persons who are overworked and
tired out seem to be more suscepti-
BILE to this influenza than others,
and it attacks them in a more VIC
lent form, the doctor said.
"Above everything, one should
avoid getting chilled or wet. This
has special reference to wet feet. One
of our army surgeons told of an
incident that had come under his
observation at one of the camps.
about $50 men were detailed to
form bucket brigade to put out a
small fire. They all became chilled
onI nf thnn1 thnir foot wat
About "a per cent of these men
came down with Spanish influenza.
resulting in many fatalities"
DR.. Grimes also spoke of the use
of nasal sprays as preventive.
cts of no value" he said.
Spray Aids Recovery.
"In fact. it has been decided
among medical men that spraying of
the nose renders a person more sus-
ceptible to the disease because it has
a tendency to soften up the mem
branes of the nasal passages and
thus impair their resistance to
germs. Nasal sprays are all right
as an aid in affecting a cure after
the disease is contracted. but should
not be used as a preventive"
DR.. Grimes further suggests that
the minute person even suspects
that he is coming down with Span
ish FLU" he should Immediately
seek medical aid. and if it is found
that he has the disease he should
lose no time in going to bed and
staying there until the attack is over.
Bed Always Sure Cure.
at was discovered at the army
1.
came down with influenza he would
always recover if he went to bed at
once and staid there. If he staid
up and dragged around thinking he
had only a cold, almost invariably
the case would develop into pneu-
monia, and therein lies the danger
of Spanish influenza. The disease
itself is not dangerous. but if per-
mitted to run unchecked it is almost
sure to develop pneumonia"
The doctor said that after this dis
covery was made in the army camps,
they made il a rule to examine the
men for influenza suspects every
day
Just Old Grip.
Even this was not found to be
cases in time, and now examinations
of the men are made three times
day with the result that they are
getting the scourge under control in
army.
This Spanish influenza is moth
ing more than the old fashioned
grip" the doctor declared. state
ments to the effect that il is new
form of disease and that the spe-
cific germ causing it has been found
do not have official sanction. and
from all information now on hand
it appears that the present epidemic
is only an outbreak of an old disease
under what are apparently unusually
favorable conditions for its rapid de-
velopment
The medical men are working to
discover a serum. NEGOTIATIONS OF
which will render persons immune,
but thus far their efforts along this
line have not been successful. No
doubt this remedy will be found in
time. however"