The Holly chieftain., 1918-10-10

eastern front in the summer and
fall of 1917.
How can Spanish influenza" be
recognized?
There is rs yet no certain way in
which q single case of spanish in
fluenza" can be recognized; on the
other hand. recognition Is easy
where there is group of cases. In
contrast to the outbreaks OF Ordi-
nary coughs and colds. which usu.
ully occur in the cold months. epi-
denies of influenza may occur at
any season of the year. thus the
present epidemic ragged most in
tensely in Europe in May, June and
July. Moreover, in the case of Ordi-
nary colds, the general symptoms
(fever, pain, depressiOnl are by no
means rs severe or as sudden in
their onset as they are in influen-
"a. Finally, ordinary colds do not
spread through the community SO
rapidly or 80 extensively as does
influenza
In most cases a 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 vOInit. Most OF the
patients complain of feeling chilly,
and with this comes fever In which
the temperature rises to 100 to 104.
In most cases the pulse remains rel
atively slow.
In appearance one is struck by
the fact that the patient looks sick.
His eyes and the inner side of his
eyelids may be slightly "blOOd-shOt"
or "cOngested", rs 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 de-
scribed, examination OF the patti
ent's blood may aid the physician
in recognizing Spanish influenza,
for it has been found that in this
disease the number of white cor
puscles shows little or no increase
above the normal. 1t Is possible
chat the laboratory Investigations
now being made through the Ma
ti0nal Research Council and the
United States Hygienic Laboratory
| will furnish more certain way in
which individual cases OF tbs dis
ease can 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 .patinent
recOvers. But while the proper
tiOn of deaths In the present eDi-
demic has generally been low, In
some places the outbreak has been
severe and deaths have been nu-
merOus. When death occurs it is
usually the result of complication.
BacteriOlOgists who have studied
influenza epidemics in the past
have found In many of the cases a
very small rOd-shaped germ called,
after Its discOverer, Pfeiffer's bacil-
lus. 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, it is
now believed that influenza is al
ways spread from person to person,
the germs being carried with the
air along with the very small drop
let's OF mucous, expelled by cough
ing or sneezing, f0rcful talking, and
the like by one who already has the
germs of the disease They may al
SO be carried about In the air in
the form of dust coming from dried
mucous, from coughing and sneez-
ing, or from careless people who spit
on the floor and on the sidewalk.
AS in most other catching diseases,
person who has only mild at
tack of the disease himself may give
q 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 in
fluenza should 60 home at once and
go to bed. This. will help keep
away dangerous complications and
will, at the same time, keep the pa-
tient from scattering the disease far
and wide. 1t is highly desirable
that no one be allowed to sleep in
the same room with the patient. In
fact, no one but the nurse should
be allowed in the room.
II there is cough and sputum or
running of the eyes and nose, care
should be taken that all such dis
charges are collected on bits of
gauze or rag or paper napkins and
burned. II the patient complains
of fever and headache, he should
be given water to drink, a cold com
press to the forehead, and light
sponge. Only such medicine should
be given as Is prescribed by the doc