The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-10-10

and colds. which usually occur In the
cold months. epidemics Of influenza
may occur at any season Of the year.
thus the present epidemic ragged
most intensely In Europe In May.
June. and July. Moreover, in the
case Of ordinary colds, the general
symptoms (fever. pain. depression)
are by no means as severe or as sud-
den in their onset as they are in in
fluenza. Finally, ordinary colds do
not spread through the community so
rapidly or SO extensively as does in
fluenza.
In most cases q person taken sick
with influenza feels sick rather sud
denly. He feels weak, has pains In
the eyes. ears. head or back, and
may be sore all over. Many patients
feel dizzy. some voIait. Most of the
patients complain OF Feeling. chilly.
and with this comes Q fever In which
the temperature rises to 100 to l04.
In most cases the pulse remains rela-
lively slow. Il -at
In appearance one is struck by the
fact that the patient looks sick. His
eyes and the innner side OF his eye
lids may be slightly "bloodshot." or
"congested," a. the doctors say. There
may be running from the nose. or
there may be some cough. These
signs Of cold may not be marked:
nevertheless the patient looks and
feels very sick.
In addition to the appearance and
the symptoms as already described
examination of the patients blood
may aid the physician In recognizing
Spanish influenza" for II has been
found that in this disease the number
of white corpuscles shows little or no
increase above the normal. II is
possible that the laboratory investi-
cations now being made through the
National Research Council and the
United States Hygienic Laboratory
will furnish a more certain way in
which individual cases of this disease
may be recognized.
What Is the course Of the disease?
Do people die of It?
Ordinarily. the fever lasts from
three to four days and the patient re-
covers. But while the proportion of
deaths in the present epidemic has
generally been low, in some places
the outbreak has been severe and
deaths have been numerous. When
death occurs II is>usually the result
of a complication.
What causes the disease and how
is II spread?
Bacteriologists who have studied
, influenza epidemics in the past have
| found in many OF the cases very
small rod-shaped germ called after
| its discoverer. Pfeiffer's bacillus. In
other cases Of apparently the same
kind of disease there were found
| pneumococci, the germs OF lObar
pneumonia. Still others have
been caused by streptococci. and by
other germs With long names.
No matter what particular kind OF
germ causes the epidemic, II is now
believed that influenza is always
| spread from person to person, the
gerems being carried with the air
along with the very small droplets
| of mucus, expelled by coughing OF
sneezing, forceful talking. and the
| like by one who already has the
.. germs of the disease. They may also
be carried about in the air In the
form Of dust coming from dried
mucus. from coughing and sneezing
or from careless people who spit ON
| the floor and on the sidewalk. AS In
most other catching diseases. per-
son who has only a mild attack OF
the disease himself may give very
| severe attack to others.
What should be done by those who
| catch the disease?
| 1t is very important that every
person who becomes sick with influ-
| enza should 60 home at once and 60
| to bed. This will help keep away
| dangerous complications and will. al
the same time, keep the patient from
scattering the disease far and wide