The Weston leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 189?-1946, 1918-11-15
ADVERTISING RATES
IS IT THE BLACK DEArH1"

balmer to make the most start
ling contribution the LEADER
has seen to current literature on
the subject of the FLU" epidem-
ic. He is Howard S, Eckels of
New York, and he takes a posi-
ton entirely opposed to that of
the medicos. A bulletin Mr..
Eckels has issued to his profes-
sional brethren having come into
the LEADERS hands. we are
quoting part of it below:
Regardless of what death
certificates say, the embalmer
who has handled many of the
cases in the recent epidemic
knows that they are different
from any that he has dealt with
before this visitation. | know
that | have found them so.
During the past four weeks
several thousands of bodies have
been embalmed under my direct
supervision as special represen-
tive of the Council of National
Defense in charge of this work
in Philadelphia. Not only did
nearby members of the Purple
Cross respond promptly and
heartily, but the War Depart
ment, at the request of the
Mayor of Philadelphia, detailed
to the Purple Cross a number of
its members who were stationed
at neighboring camps and can
tonments. / have done enough
of this work personally during
this period and posted enough
bodies to be thoroughly acquaint-
ed with the post-mortem symp-
toms, which resemble and prob
ably are identical with those
which history gives Us of the
Black Plagae.
The epidemic already in six
weeks has cost America five
times as many lives as we have
lost on the battlefields of Eu-
rope. Apparently, it is not the
result of any one specific germ.
1t is not Influenza; it is not
Asiatic Cholera; it is not Bubon-
ic Plague. it is not Pneumonia
although it frequently causes
Pneumonia, or at least condi-
ton closely resembling it.
1t is the Black Plague of the
Middle Ages, which so often in
the past has swept the world.
1T is caused by cross-breed-
ing of bacteria in unembalmed
bodies carelessly buried in
ground which later is churned
and re-churned by the tramp of
armies and the hail Of shells, as
the lines alternately advance and
retreat. !"
The medical profession has
identified Spanish Influenza with
the influenza or la grippe epi-
denies that have swept the
country at varying intervals,
generally of a decade or more,
since 1880. 1t claims to have
identified the germ and to have
discovered a way to combat it
or at least the pneumococcus of
ten following in its train-by
means of a serum composed of
like germs cultured and then
killed. The development of this
serum was reported to the Uni |
versity of Minnesota not long
by DIR. William Mayo and is now
In general and successful use.
So we have the medico and
the embalmer fatty arrayed
against each other on the "iu"
issue-with the medico having {
the best of it, we think, by
reason of the gratifying results
of his serum treatment in the
cantonments. &
Belize, however, the doctors
will admit themselves stumped
by one phase of the notorious {
and wicked influenza. 1t travels h
faster than wildfre, faster than
he wind. With lightning speed
/ crosses oceans and continents o
md becomes endemic almost in f
day. simultaneously it ap-
ears in Canada to the north and
fexicc to the south how or "
yhy, nobody knows. While it h