Evening journal., 1918-11-15
DOCTORS DISCUSS
RECENT EPIDEMIC
No ia New Disease to Medl-
cal Science, They
Declare
DIR. |. Nj. FLINN IS
SOCIETY PRESIDENT

DR.. Irvine>M. Finn, Of this city, was
elected president at the annual meeting |
OF the Homeopathic Medical Society, OF
Delaware state and Peninsula, yester-.
day afternoon in the Hotel dupont. Dr.
julius Dodd. Of New Castle, was elected
vice-president; Dr. Edgar .. Bullock,
secretary, and Or. Harry r.. Pennock,
treasurer.
The following committee was ap-
pointed 10 prepare resolutions on the
death Of DR.. John Fisher, a former
member OF the society, and well known
physician OF this city: DR.. +. 1. Neg
endank, Or. F. F. Pierson, DR.. Julian
Adair. The resolutions will be entered
upon the minutes and sent to Dr. FISH
crs relatives. II will be remembered
| that DR.. Fisher succumbed TO influenza
while ministering to the sick In Boston,
at the height Of the epidemic.
The society regretted greatly that the
expected address by Or. J. w. Rich
ards. Of the Public Health Service, had
to be omitted from the program. DR..
Richards was sick and unable TO at
tend.
Sevefal Philadelphia physicians were
present at the afternoon meeting and
at the thirty-siXth annual banquet, Leld
in the evening at the Hotel dupont.
They included DR.. C. 5. Rause, Dr.. Clar-
ence Bartlett, Dr. DesideriO Roman, and
Or. Samuel Sappngton.
After the banquet, papers were read'
treating Of the recent influenza cpl
demic.
DIT. Irvine NJ. Finn asserted, In his
address, that the influenza was not a
. new disease to medical science. lie
! said:
You all have heard Of Pigs IS Pigs.
NV theory is based on Bugs IS Bugs.
You are all acquainted with the So
: called i7-year locust. IL is a big bug
The germ OF the disease in question Is
not even a microscopical bug, it is SO
small. It is a little bug.
"The locust takes II years 10 repro
duce itself It deposits. its eggs In tht
twigs Of certain trees and II dies aIlei
: playing havoc with the shrubbery. Inc
: eggs fall to the earth, going through
the changes peculiar to itself, coming
/, back in AZ years a locust again, and Sc
on ad infnitum.
"Our little bug comes from some
where. lays its eggs somewhere, plays
havoc with the human race, and IN
A few weeks dies. The eggs fall some
: where. 20 through various changes pc
h culiar TO themselves, come again IN
or Is years, and so II goes on ad In
lf1nltum.
h "Similar occurrences" he said, "hav
v visited the world for centuries, but IN
. intervals are so far between that IN
/ llaity forget and It usually finds ne'
crop OF physicians and health officers
play It's pranks upon.
Favorable to immunization, DR.. Flin
l. added. If the disease was reproduce
AZ in man. as some practitioners conten
r there would be no end to an epidemi
IS I do not believe in the stamping OF
Df proces we heard so much about durln
Y. the height Of the scourge. The gerl
ir has a certain time 10 live or linge
Take your choice"
+ DR.. Finn was followed by Drs.
9, Earle Spencer and Lewis 1erger' Wh
z, smoke on the important part prope
t. ventilation and nursing, played in trea
~ ing the disease.
" Dr Bartlett declared that the ep
s. denies of 1889 and 1890 had no r.
N spect for the ages Of its victims viii
the recent scourge did. Very few case
ed he said. came to his attention OF su
s ferers under the age OF 20 years. !
added that the medical profession 4
Iir time had great faith in the inil'
tn enza bacillus theory, but that since ~
an passed away. DR.. Barrett recalled u
he first patients that were admitted to U
be Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelpn
to believing them to be afflicted with I
or phoid fever and how puzzled the no
pital authorities were in treating u
cases.
Or. Raue. asserted that his obsery
I'D tions Of children suffering with q
he malady. disclosed marked toxic co
ub dition after the disease had run
OF course. He said in many OF the cas-
IN they developed a decreased pulse hea
murmur and inability to walk after
ne short confinement in bed.