The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-05
Louisiana State Board OF
Health Issues Valuable
Information Regard
ing Influenza
Victims Afflicted Quickly But
In Most Cases Fever Falls In
Four Days-Ways To Com
bat Disease

"The present outbreak appears to be
| characterized by peculiarly sudden on
set, the victim being struck down with
dizziness, weakness and pains in various
parts of the body while on duty or in
the street.
'There is a sharp rise in temperature
to 103 or 1O4 degrees, complaint of head
ache, pain in the back, and photophobia.
The throat feels sore; there is conges
ton of the pharynx, and in some in
stances laryngitis and bronchitis. Lat
eral nystagmus with suffused cOnitnc-
tivae, sign to which Major Morris, R.
A. NJ. c., has drawn attention in trench
fever, is not rarely found in the influenza
patient.
'In many cases the fever falls in three
or four days and the patent RECEIVERS
rapidly; in others there is an irregular
pyrexia, which may be accounted for by
bronchitis; in rare cases by bronchiolitis,
broncho pneumonia, or by the presence
of influenza bacillus in the blood. Few
fatalities have been reported so far.
The usual mode Of death has been acute
broncholitis, with increasing cyanosis
and terminal failure of the right heart. -
Mode of ansmission-Despite pop
ular opinion that grippe spreads over
the world in some mysteriously rapid
manner, it never spreads, as Osler points
out, more rapidly than methods of trans
portation. 1t is true, however, that the
influenza bacillus is probably constantly
present in the respiratory passages. The
disease is highly communicable and dur
ing epidemics it spreads with remarkable
rapidity. Just what conditions or com
bination of circumstances are necessary
to start one Of the periodic worldwide
outbreaks is as unknown in this. as in
other communicable diseases, like plague,
which are prone to become pandemic.
The sources of infection are undoubted-
ly the secretions from the nose, throat,
and lungs of cases or carriers, and the |
mode of transmission is by direct or in |
direct conveyance Of these secretions by |
droplet infection or by means Of hand |
towels, eating utensils etc. |
That the disease may be controlled I'M |
der suitable conditions was shown by |
many instances of institutional isolation |
in the height of the epidemies of 1889
1892.
Tredtment-Rest in bed, warmth,
fresh air, abundant. food, with Dover s !
powder for the relief of pain. Every |
case with fever should be regarded as
serious and kept in bed at least until /
defervescence Of the fever. Gonzales
,ence REQUIRES careful management to
avoid serious sequelae.
''During the present outbreak abroad
he salts of quinine and aspirin have
been most generally used during the
acute attack, the latter APPARENTLY with
much success in the relief Of symptoms. -
Methods for the control of the dis
ease may be summarized as follows:
Infectious Agent-The bacillus infu-
enzae of Pfeiffer.
Sources of InfectiOn-The secretions
from the nose, throat and respiratory
passages Of cases or Of carriers.
Incubation Period-One to four DAYS
generally two.
Mode of Trdnsmission-By direct con-
act or indirect contact through the use
# handkerchiefs, common towels, cups,
ness gear, or other objects contaminated
With fresh secretions. Droplet infection
,lays an important part.