The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-10-26

influenza epidemic this year.
Indications arc that should IL o"
cur, it Will rot he as severe as tho
/ randcndc OF the previous winter
CITY offica,s, tate and and cccn''
boarls Of health, should be prepare
| ia tbt event Of occurrence
Tie fact that a previous ATTACK
briggs immunity in a certain percert
age of eases should allay fear on the
part of those afflicted on the previous
/ epidemic.
The influe-z "a is spread by direct
and Indirect contact,
1t is not yet certain that the germ
{ has been isolated, or discovered, ant
AS a consequence there is yet no pos
I tive preventative, except the enforce
ment Of rigid rules Of sanitation ant
The avoidance Of personal contact,
A close relation between the influ-
enza pandemic and the constantly IN
creasing pneumonia mortality rate
prior TO tie fall of 1918 is recognized
1t is row believed that the disease
was pretty widely disseminated
throughout the country before 1t wa
RECOGNIZED in its epidemic state. ThE
fail IRE to recognize the early case
appears to have, largely tcea due to
the fact that every interest was lheI'
conferred on the war.
Here are the important facts de
volopcd by the United States PUBIC
Health Service after careful survey
and investigation of the influenza pan
dcmie Of l9l8-l9, carried on in ever
state and important city, and IN Tor
cign countries.
No one Of the many experts oil Ih'
service would make more positive
forecast Of the all important question
vii there be recurrence? All agreed
however, that a recurrence was not un
likely, and that in the face OF inc
known facts, that it would be wise u
he popared more with view OF BENT
on the safe side than actually antlci
pating danger.
The fonowmg excerpts from the
government report are published foi
the benefit Of the public and health
officers in the hope that this wil
serve to set at rest the daily publica
ton in the newspapers Of statements
viii h on one hard are calculated U
lull the publ, i to a sense OF tais'
security and on the other to undul.
cause alarm.
Contrary to the opinion expressed
frequently during the carly weeks o
last years pandemic by a number o
observers, the studies Of the Y.
Publ. Health Service indicate tina
the epidemic was not fresh lmpor
tation from abroad. Careful study
the mortality statistics Of the Unite :
States shows that there were a mum
lcr of extensive, though mild fore.
runners Of the pandemic during th'
previous three or four years. In On.
caoo and New York, in the winter u
1856, for example, these were SUI
ficiently well-marked to occasion pup
lie comment at the time, leading IN th'
latter city to a well organized, don
spit don't sneeze" campaign IN tn
mart of the health authorities. lh'
REPORTS of the u. S. Public llcalti
Service Of January, 1916, show ~
fluerza to be an epidemic in p states
including practically all parts Of Tho
generally Of a mild type and has sinctI
been almost forgotten. 1t occasioned
however, a noticeable increase in tn
recorded death rate from pneumonia
In the spring Of 1918 there was an
other sharp rise in the mortality rate
from pneumonia. In the larger elite
of the Atlantic Seaboard these m
creases occurred during January, Fet B..
ruary and March. In the rest Of tn
country, especially the central anc
western states, the increases occurred
in APRIL, a month during which pneu-
monia mortality is generally on the
decline. This increase was sufficient
to indicate a, strong departure from
the normal. The increased mortality
rate extended into May and IN some
arecas even longer.
This occurrence has. 1t is believed
p defirite significance in relation e.
the influenza epidemic In the UniteH
States in the spring of 1918, number
Of definite local outbreaks Of influ-
enza were observed; thus, IN For !.
Oglethorpe, rear Chattanooga, Tenn.
in March; in Chicago during March
in San Quentin prison, California, n.
April. October and November. AZ
Camp Funston recurrent outbreak
Of pneumonia were observed in March
April and May Of 1913, and were def
initely associated with coincident ep ,