Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-04
SPANISH INFLUENZA.
The Same Old Disease Under New
Name.

The epidemic which has been given
the name of Spanish influenza and
which seems to have spread over con-
siderable portion of the European con-
tincnt, has made its appearance among
Passengers on transatlantic steamers
arriving in New York. These patients
began to arrive some months ago. and
since that time the health officer OF
the port has kept in close touch with
the situation. Some Of the cases which
attracted the most attention occurred
on the Norwegian liner Bargensfjord,
which arrived In New York after hav-
ing had more than 200 cases of sick
ness and four deaths during the voy-
age. Eleven sick passengers were
transferred Immediately to the Nor
wcgian hospital in Brooklyn, and the
clinical history Of those cases was OBJ
served by DIR. Edward f. Cornwall in
whose service they were placed.
The history Of these cases, says the
New York Medical Journal. including
as 1t does the blood count and bacte-
biological studies, indicates that these
particular cases. at least, did not diff
fer materially from the classical in
fluenza already we'll known in this
country. In letter. DR.. Fernandez
Ybarra, who has recently returned
from a nine months stay In Spain,
where he had an opportunity to OBJ
sergek . ktha epidemic In Madrid, agrees
that fhe disease does not differ mAte-
rally from the grippe or epidemic
bronchitis. and is Of the opinion that
it's spread in Spain was due to the un-
hygienic conditions found In that coun-
try. where little attention seems to be-
paid to the ordinary rules Of hygiene.
Four patients. writes DR.. Cornwall
entered the hospital with histories.
symptoms and physical signs which
suggested influenza, and seven Of them
with histories. symptoms and physical
signs which suggested pneumonia
complicating influenza. One Of the pa
tients, who entered the hospital with
a temperature of nearly 106 deg. +. and
signs Of pulmonary edema, died two
hours after admission. Another. who
had signs of consolidation involving
nearly the entire right lung. showed
progressive weakening Of the heart,
and died on the third day after admis-
sion. A third. with consolidation in
volving the right upper and left lower
lobes, died on the third day after ad-
mission. At the present time, August
10, 1918, all the remaining cases are
either frankly convalescent or are pro-
crossing favorably.
One of the patients who entered the
hospital with q diagnosis Of influenza.
gave the following history: Five days
before admission he had a moderate
chill and felt chilly for two days after.
He also felt very weak, had a poor ap-
petite and suffered from a frontal
headache. He did not go to bed until
one day before admission, when he felt
too weak to keep up. Shortly after
going to bed he had another moderate
chill This patient states that ten
years ago. when in the United States,
ne had an attack of sickness with
symptoms almost exactly the same as
these Of the present attack. except that
the headache was not so much frontal
as lateral.
Mcanw hile, with Spanish influenza
cases coming in on and of, there is
considerable difference of opinion as to
whether the illness Is really true in
fluenza. with conflicting statements
passing to and fro. It seems the like
" conclusion that some of the cases
were Influenza and others supposed to
be were not.-New York World.