The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-10-14

In the head, eyes, ears, back or other
parts of the body and feeling of Sc
we're sickness. In most of the cases the
symptoms disappear after three or four
days. the patient then rapidly recover
ing. Some of the patients, however,
develop pneumonia, or Inflammation
OF the ear, or meningitis, and many of
these complicated cases die. Whether
this so-called Spanish influenza is
identical with the epidemics Of infiuen-
"a of earlier years is not yet known.
"Epidemics of influenza have visited
this country since 1917. 1t is interest
ing to know that this first epidemic
was brought here from Valencia,
Spain. Since that time there have
been numerous epidemics of the dis
ease. In 1889 and 1890 an epidemic
of influenza, starting somewhere In the
Orient, spread first to Russia and
thence over practically the entire CIV
ilized world Three years later there
was another flare-up Of the disease.
Both times the epidemic spread wide
~ over the United States.
although the present epidemic is
called Spanish Influenza there is no
reason to believe that it originated in
Spain. Some writer's who have studied
the question believe that the epidemic
came from the Orient and they call at
tention 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 rec
ognized?
There is as yet no certain way in
which a single case of Spanish infiu-
enza' can be recognized. On the 9th
Ell hand, recognition is easy where
there is a group of cases. In contrast
to the outbreaks of ordinary coughs
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 ordi-
nary colds, the general symptoms
fever, pain, depression) are by no
means as severe or as sudden in their
onset as they are in influenza. Final
ly. ordinary colds do not spread
through the community so rapidly or
SO 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 vomit. Most Of the pa
tients complain of feeling chilly, and
with this comes a fever in which the
temperature rises to 100 to 1O4. In
most cases the pulse remains relative
ly slow.
"In appearance one Is strUo.. by the
fact that the patient looks sick. His
eyes and the inner side Of his eyelids
may be slightly 'bloodshot,' or CON
gested,' as the doctors say. There
may be running from the nose, or
there may be some cough. These signs
of cold may not be marked; never
theless 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 Span
tsh Influenza, for it has been found
that in this disease the
white COrpuscles shows little
crease above the normal 1t /.
bic that the laboratory investiga
now being made through the National
Research Council and the United
States Hygienic Laboratory will fur
niSh more certain way in which indi-
vidual cases of this disease can be
recognized"
What is the course of the disease1
Do people die of 1t?
"Ordinariy, the fever lasts from
| three to four days and the patient re.
covers. +" lille - proportion OF
deaths " rres<ns epidemic has
eener@ ruw, " e places the
| Gutbr IN 49, md deaths
| have QUA When death oc.
| ours Il tie result of a com
| plicat-
What causes the disease and how ID
1t spread?
"Bacteriologists who have studied in
f1uenza epidemics in the past have
found in many of the cases a very
small rod-shaped germ called, after Its
| diScOyerer Pfeiffers bacillus In Other
cases of apparently the same kind OF