The Wahpeton times., 1918-12-19

Warrington. D. O-with. The suhsid-
e1ee OF TIE epidemic OF influenza the
attention Of health onleers 10 directed
to. pneumonia, bronchitis and other
diseases Of the respiratory system
Witch regularly cause q large number
Of deaths, especially during the winter
season. According to Rupert Blue.
Surgeon General Of the Uhited States
Public Health Service. these diseases
win bs especially prevalent this win
tse unless the people are particularly
careful to obey health instructions. =
The present epidemic" said Sur
sson General Blue. has taught BY Bit
ter experience how readily q condition
beginning apparently 40 q slight cold
may 60 on to pneumonia and death.
Although the worst Of the epidemic q
over, there will continue to be q large
Rumber Of scattered cases, many Of
them mild and unrecognized. which
viii be danger spots to be guarded
against" The Surgeon General likened
the present situation to that after q
great fire, saying, mo fire chief who
understands his business stops playing
the hose on the charred debris as soon
as the flames aud visible IRE have dis
appeared. On the contrary, he con-
tlnues the water for hours and even
days, for he knows that there is dan
ger Of the fire rekindliGg" from smel-
dering embers."
"Then you fear another outbreak Of
tnfiuenza?" he was asked. "Not mecca
sarily another large ehfdemic," said
the Surgeon General. "but unless the
people learn to realize the seriousness
of the danger they will be compelled to
pay heavy death toll from pneumo-
aia and other respiratory. diseases. :.
Common Cold. A,eha tssehlns. ).
at i. encours sins Cd observe that
people are beginning te'learn that or
dinary coughs and colds are highly
catching and are spread from person
to person by means III =. droplets of
germ laden mucus. Su34 'droplets are
sprayed into the air when careless or
ignorant people cough or Sneeze with
out covering their mouth and nose. It
Is also good to know that people have
learned something about the value of
fresh air. In summer, when people
are largely out of doors, the respira-
tory diseases Coughs, colds, pneumO-
mia, etc.) are infrequent; in the fall,
as people begin to remain indoors, the
respiratory diseases increase; in the
winter. when people are prone to stay
in badly ventilated, overheated rooms,
the respiratory diseases become very
prevalent.
Suitable Clothing Important.
"Still another factor in the produc.
ton Of colds pneumonia and other re.
spiratory diseases Is carelessness or ig.
norance 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
among women, dressing so lightly that
windows are kept closed in order to be
comfortably warm. This is very in.
furious practice.
" Could Save 100000 Lives.
II believe we could easily save one
hundred thousand lives annually ip
the United States If all the people
would adopt the system Of fresh ali
living followed, for example, in tuber.
culOsis sanatoria. There is nothing
mysterious about it-no specific medi.
cine, no vaccine. The important thing
is right living, good food and plenty OF
fresh air.
propIet Infection Explained In Pictures
"The Bureau Of Public Health.
Treasury Department, has just issued
q striking poster drawn by Bergman,
the well-known Washington cartoonist,
The poster exernplifies the modern
method of health education. A few
years ago, under similar circumstances,
the health authorities would have Is.
sued an official dry but scientifically
bulletin teaching the role Of
1roplet infection in the spread Of re.
,piratory diseases. The only ones who
would have understood the bulletin
would have been those who already
Knew all about the subject. The man
n the street, the plain citizen and the
many millions who toll for their living
would have had no time and no desire
o wade through the technical phrase.
'logy."
s.. Use Use L71z