The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-08-22
Experts Are Looking for Dis
ease Breaking Out But i'm
Less Virulent Form.
COOPERATION NECESSARY
State Health Officer, DIR. ]. A
Hayne, Stresses Importance of
Promptly Reporting Cases to
Authorities.

Columbia. S. c., Aug. 21.-Tha
there will be recrudescence of the
influenza pandemic which ravaged
the world last fall and winter is the
opinion voiced by medical experts.
They do not believe, however. that
recurrence Of the malady will be of
such virulence as it's original stage
Deaths may be expected, they say.
but in not as high a volume as in
1918.
The prevalence OF influenza in
South Carolina is normal, according
to the records at the office OF tn
state board of health. DR.. James A
Hayne, state health officer, said today
that there were only 19 cases re
ported during the month Of June.
Profiting by the experience OF the
epidemic last year, the health authori-
ties of the United States are planning
cooperative unified campaign to
keep the spread of the malady within
bounds If possible. The greatest diff
hculty now being experienced by the
medical profession is the meager ex
pert information about the disease
which makes 1t hard to combat.
DR.. Hayne and Capt. Charles "
Akin, M. d., passed assistant sur
geon, United States public health SER
vice, who is in charge Of epidemiologi-
cal work in South Carolina, are max
Ing arrangements to cope with the
situation should influenza gain any
headway in the state. The health
authorities will be better able to cone
with the malady than last year, when
there was dearth OF physicians and
nurses because of the war. Now many
OF them are out OF the service and
can be called upon to assist in the
fight.
AT recent meeting OF the health
officers at Atlantic City, at which 43
states were represented, an executive
committee of nine was appointed to
make study of influenza and to man
cut campaign to fight the epidemic
which could be adopted by all the
states. A subcommittee consisting Of
Dr. James A. Hayne, state health Of
ficer OF South Carolina; DR.. Wilson s
Rankin, state health officer of North
Carolina, and DR.. Ennion G. Williams.
state health commissioner OF Vir-
gtnia. was appointed to make the rec
concentrations to the committee Of
nine. This subcommittee has been
making study of the disease and the
manner In which a unified campaign
should be made against It, and Il will
meet at Raleigh shortly and compile
its report.
Dr. Hayne, in discussing the situ-
alton. calls attention TO the fac. chat
influenza itself does not cause large
mortality; 1t is pneumonia which fol-
lows II which makes the death list
He also states that there are serums
OF proved value in the treatment OF
pneumonia which can be used effec-
lively
The state health officers stated that
In an influenza epidemic, as in all
other epidemics, an urgent necessity
is the prompt reporting OF cases to
the county health boards for the i'm
mediate transmissal to the state hoard
OF health. without these reports the
heaith authorities are handicapped in
their fight. There is a law on tho
statute books requiring physicians to
report contagious diseases, but IL ia
disregarded more often than it is OBJ
served. Unless these reports are made
1t is almost impossible for the state
health officer to know when a dis
ease has reached epidemic proper
tions and to take measures to counter
act its progress.
During the epidemic last year, ac
cording to the annual report of the
state board OF health, there were he
tween 100000 and 10, 900, cases OF
influenza in South Carolina. with an
proximately 5000 deaths from pneu
monfa directly attributable to the dis
ease. Every county OF the state was
visited with more or less viruIence.
The disease caused more than half q
million deaths in the United States.