The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1919-10-22
How to Prevent
The Dreaded Flu.

The desease called Spanish In
fuenza" usually resembles a very
CONTAGIOUS kind of cold" accompan
lied by fever, pains in the head.
eyes. ears, back parts of the body,
and a feeling Of severe sickness. In
most of the cases the symptoms dis
appear after three or four days, the
patient then rapidly recovering;
some of the patients, however, de-
velop pneumonia, or inflammation
of the ear, or meningitis; and many
of these complicated cases die.
Sometimes the symptoms are so
mild that the true condition is I'M
expected. Spanish influnza' is APP
parently identical with the cpl
denies of infiunza of earlier years.
In this connection attention is
called to the fact that the pandemic
of 1sS9-1S91 originated in China
and was carried to Russia, where 1t
was known as Chinese Influenza
From Russia it spread throughout
Europe and was spoken of as
russian influenza Introduced
from Europe into the United States
il was called European influenza
and family when il crossed the Pa
cific into Japan 1t was called Amer
lean influenza"
Epidemics of influenza have visit
ed this country since l647. tits in
teresting to know that this epidemic
was brought here from Valencia,
Spain. Since that time there have
been numerous epidemics of the di-
sease. In 1889 and 1890 the disease
was epidemic over practically the
entire civilized world. Three years
later there was another flare-up OF
the disease. Both times the cpl
.demic spread widely over the
United States.
Although the recent epidemic is
called Spanish inSlenza." inves-
tigation has shown that it did not
originate in Spain.
We now know that there was an
undue prevalence of influenza in the
United States for several years pre-
ceding the recent great pandemlc.
Because the disease occurred in n
mild form, and because the public
mind was focused ON the war. this
increased prevalence of the disease
escaped attention. Not until the cpl
demic appeared in severe form In
Boston in September, 1918, did II
excite any special interest.
HOW CAN SPANISH INFLUEN.
"a" BE RECOGNIZED?
There is as yet no certain way in
which a single case of Spanish in
fuenza" can be recognized; on the
other band recognition is easy
where there is a group of cases. In
contrast to the outbreaks of ordin-
airy coughs and colds, which usually
occur in the cold months, epidemics
of influenza may occur at any sea-
son of the year; thus the recent cpl
demic ragged most intensely in Eu-
rope in May, June, andJuly of 1918
Moreover. in the case of ordinary
colds, thegeneal symptoms tfever
pain. DEPRESSION are by no means
as severe or as sudden in their onset
as they are in influenza. Finally
ordinary colds do not spread
through the community so rapidly
or so extensively as does influenza
In most cases person taken
sick with influenza feels sick rather
suddenly. He feels weak, has pains
in the eyes, ears, head or back, alb
domen. etc. and may be sore all over
Many patients feel dizzy, some
vomit. Most of the patients complain
of feeling chilly, and with thia
comes q fever in which the temper
ature rises to 100 degrees TO 104
degrees +. In most cases the pulse
remains relatively 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 "bloodshot
or "congested." as the doctors say
There NAV re running from Tho
nose, or there may be some cough
This signs of cold may not b'
marked; nevertheless the patient
looks and feels very sick. In mum
Der of instances during the recen
pandemic a large proportion of thu
cases of influenza showed an intest
inal (diarrhea type Of infection
In addition to the appearance
and the symptoms as already des
cribed. examination OF the PATIENT
blood may aid the physician in re
cognizing Spanish influenza, fo