Evening journal., 1919-07-31
4 NATTER or LIrE AM DrArH

N ELAWAREANS csunot fail to have been impressed b5
- the prediction OF medical Of standing that The
people Of The United stales destined to suffer another
visitation Of Spanish influenza
Nor can such Dcawareans fail 10 be impressed by
the necessity for lhe Federal Government and all the
state county and municipal to prepare now
to meet such situation should II develop.
Certain il that Deawareans do not want their public
officials to be caught mapping they in 1915 when
thousands OF people stricken and hundreds OF
them died many because they could receive the at
ienton they needed. There was shortage Of doctors
OF nurses, OF hospital accommodations and OF needed
medicines
In that connection 90 is well to bear in mind that
measure Of great TO the people Of State and
the country at large is under consideration Congress
i IS the bin appropnatng s50O0OOO for thenyeslgaon
of influenza, its prevention cure Nothing this
Congress has TO deal with is Of greater Importance 10
the men. women and children Of America.
We all remember without effort the darkness and
terror which engufed the land last fall and winter as
death salked swiftly from seaboard to seaboard into
crowded city and unto lonely plain sparing the cot
tage Of the poor ihe mansion Of the rich. In four
short months influenza claimed half million lives and
pressed millions Of others onto beds OF sickness
ING and helplesness The nations mortality rate eaped
aish and with astounding speed
The nation unprepared to cope with disease
calamity such as it had known.
Not the most learned OF bacierologis,s could tell
stricken world what manner Of germ il which
rcaped so heavily Of life
Nor could the wisest Of health officials tell frightened
humanity how to avoid the germ, unknown and unex-
painable Preventive methods they advised many.
and mostly these founded upon hope built Of good
wishes and to this day there exact indication OF
The success failure Of the "nu" mask, the thousand
and one sprays, swabs and washes, OF the
efficacy Of the city-,yide quarantine
At The outset Of the influenza pandemc we were told
mat The disease caused by the Pfener bacillus. And
before 10000 Americans were in their graves
sured by an Overwhelming majority OF bacerioogss |
s'o' this particular bacillus was innocent Of influenza
Nlal>fer else il might be guilty Of.
we Nere no nearer a solution then than we were at
Boston. ''''u
Being at loss as to what bacillus caused influenza
mol the most experienced Of our physicians could with
any marked degree Of assurance promise a stricken
As guessed al the cause and the preyenlior On 49,,
guessed at The cure
Result; Six hundred thousand influenza coalns in |
few months and unknown millions OF persons left easier
prey for other disease germs.
The countss financial loss another matter OF guess
work II has been estimated at several billion dollars
And only nse million dollars asked FOR this pro-
posed Inrestigation
More has been spent on studying diseases Of hogs
More has been spent in subdung The boil weev The
,inch bug and the army
We know little nothing about influenza once we
ailcd " huStldU- influenza because ~ appeared IN
sussis before did here Next time called il span
sh' influenza it found victims in Spain before
ame TO America We don't know when il Started. |
where, how. and for all know II may at
my time and at any place
But we do know that when it comes it leaves behind +
death toll greater than war. heavier than any other
modern disease scourge
And further, know that there arc recurring
'sNes Of influenza often for years after the initial sp
'earanee OF inc epidemic This the rising
ma seuhng Of The sun, The ebb and flow Of the tide
Not physician in all the world vil say that he is
''e 'nc'f WI be 20 recurring cpdemc Of influenza 10
- s M "a. sss. .iiiiisf. HseEy iecter viii t=fj