The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-15
NEW DISCOVERIES WILL
COMBAT FLU" EPIDEMIC

A new general outbreak of spanish
fu," predicted for the coming winter
in recent warning by DR.. Royal s.
Copeland, health commissioner for New
York city. has given rise TO alarmed
speculation as to the preparedness OF
medical science to cope with another
epidemic of the dreaded disease. DIR.
Copeland, am ophthalmogist OF inter
national reputation, and late a member
OF the medical section OF the council or
national defense says that the country
is to undergo another siege Of the in
influenza which took such great toll
of lives last year, and the health de-
plans accordingly
whether the recurrence OF the "fu"
lie to prove as generally fatal as II did
when IL first raised its head year ago
depends almost entirely on the progress
the country's medical men can make in
the perfection of serum to fight the
disease, and practicing physicians arc
greatly encouraged in this connection
by what has been done by experts OF
the big medical schools he aReeF-
tainty az to the nature of the infec-
ton, the varied character OF the ef-
fects found in the lungs of different
patients. and the multiplicity OF the
various complicating organisms which
invade the lungs when weakened by
the influenza, have combined to make
exceedingly difficult the task of and
ing a serum. but recent experiments
BY prominent members of the staff OF
the Harvard Medical school indicate
that science will face new epidemic
with far greater hope of success than
before
Although the Harvard Medical school
has been very much handicapped by the
large number of its experts who have
been in military service. and Is said
to have had no available funds for
making an intensive study of the last
epidemic OF the influenza number of
its instructors have made independent
Investigations for the government which
have shed important light on the ma
ture OF the disease and on the best
methods OF nghtiag It,
Reports from seven prominent MEM
bers Of Harvards medical star. who
were serving at the time in the medi-
cal corps OF the navy. indicate that
many OF those who viii be attacked by
the "au" this coming winter Will be
save by serum developed Sfom con-
vaiesoent patients. a thing which was
practically unknown at the time OF last
years sudden spread OF the disease.
One Of these experts. DR.. r. II. Rapo-
port conducted experiments with $40
ssrums ending 81 per cent positive
In Joint re port for :he navy depart
nnant, r,rst E w Goadpasture ami r.
L, Burnett have made noteworthy con-
tributions to the understanding Of the
various germs which follow the In
nuenza and which SO often have
proved fatal to the weakened patient
prs L. w MCGUIRE and W. r. Redden
experimcn,ed with Isl patients on a
serum from convalescents, and with
only six resultant deaths. found that
the serum greatly reduced mortality
and shortened the course OF the dis
Rosenau reported findings equally en-
couraging.
+, /. largely for the purpose OF
nghting Just such epidemios as thiA
predicted new outbreak OF the flu
that the alumni OF Harvard are said to
be campaigning for additional funds
Two and a half millions Of the eleven
million dollar endowment fund which
Is to be raised this fall are 10 be de-
voted to the needs Of the Harvard Med
teal school, to provide adequate in
come for general medicine and sur
gerry for pediatrics and obstetrics, and
for the intensice study OF occupational
diseases and such worldwide epidemics
Al the Spanish "hu" Medical men en-
listed in the big campaign contend that
the success with which the coming
endemic will be met will depend
largely on how well the laboratories
and research departments OF the big
medical schools are equipped to face
the situation, and the large share OF
Haryafd's general endowment which is
10 70 to it's medical school shows that
Haryard's alumni are anxious to ,see
the problem Of the influenza solved,
and solved immediately