Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1918-10-10
What Is Spanish Influenza? Is
Somethink New? Does it Come
From Spain?

SOmethink New? Does it Come
From Spain?
The disease now occurring in this
country and called Spanish Infu-
enza" resembles a very contagious
kind of a "cold" accompanied by
fever, pains in the head, eyes, ears,
back or other parts of the body, and
a feeling of severe sickness. In most
cases the symptoms disappear after
three or four days, the patient then
rapidly recovering some of the pa
tients, however, develop pneumonia,
or inflammation of the ear, or menin-
gifts, and many of these complicated
cases die. Whether this so-called
Spanish Influenza is identical with
the epidemics of influenza of earlier
years is not yet known.
Epidemics of influenza have visited
this country since 1647. 1t is in
teresting to know that this first epi-
denic was brought here from Yalen-
cia, Spain. Since that time there
have been numerous epidemics Of the
disease. In 1889 and 1890 an cpl
demic of influenza, starting some
where in the Orient, spread to Rus
STA, and thence over practically the
entire civilized world. Three years
later there was another fare-up of
the disease. Both times the epidemic
spread widely over the United States
Although the present epidemic is
called Spanish Influenza" there is
no reason to beneye shhat it origin
ated in Spain. Some writer's who
have studied the question believe that
the epidemic came from the Orient
and they call attention to the fact
that the Germans mention the disease
as occurring along the eastern front
in the summer and fall of 1917.
How Can Spanish Influenza" Be
Recognized
There is as yet no certain way in
which single case of Spanish In
.fiuenza" can be recognized; on the
other hand, recognition is easy where
there is a group of cases. In con-
trast to the outbreaks of ordinary
coughs and colds, which usually oc-
cur in the cold months, epidenlics Of
influenza may occur at any season
Of the year, thus the present epi-
demic ragged most intensely in Eu-
rope in May, June and July. More
over, in the case of ordinary colds,
the general symptoms (fevet, pain
depression) are by no means as Sc
we're or as sudden in their onset as
they are ii influenza. Finally ordin-
airy colds do not spread through the
community so rapidly or so extern
sively as does Influenza.
In most cases a person taken siel
with influenza feels sick rather sud
denly. He feels weak, has pains il
the eyes, ears, head or back. ant
may be sore all over. Many patients
feel dizzy, some vomi5. IIost Of thS
patients complain of feeling chilly
and with this comes a fever i
which the temperature rises tos10t
to 104. In most cases the pulse re.
mains relatively slow.
In appearance one is struck by thu
fact that the patient looks sick. Hi:
eyes and the inner side of his eye
lids may be slightly ''pIood-snot,p o.
"congested," as the doctors say
There may be running from the nose
or there may be some cough. These
signs of a cold may not be marked
nevertheless the patient looks anc
feels very sick.
In addition to the appearance. ant
the symptoms as already described
examination of the patients BLOOD
may aid the physician N recognizing
spanish Influenza" for it has beer
found that in this disease the number
of white corpuscles shows little o.
no increase above the normal. 1t L
possible that the laboratory inYesti
cations now being made through th'
National Research Council and TIL
United States Hygiene LaDorator.
win furnish a more certain way il
which individual cases or this diseas'
can be recognized.
What Is the Disease? Do People Di'
Of IL?
Ordinarily, the fever lasts from
three to four days and the patient re
covers. But while the proportion 9
deaths in the present epidemic ha
generally been low, in some place
the outbreak has been severe an
deaths have been numerous. Whel
death occurs it is usually the resul
of complication.
What Causes the Disease and Ho'