Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-01-24
EXPERIMENTS DEMONSTRATE
FLU IS DISEASE OF MYSTERY
investigations by Medical Scientists and Health
Authorities Bring no Definite Results Fix
ing Status Of Contagion in Epidemic.

geon General Blue, "show how dim
cult Is the influenza problem. They
by no means indicate that we can
AFFORD to disregard coughing, sneex-
ing and splitting as common means
of spreading disease, and even in the
case of influenza this source of in
lection should always be borne In
mind. / believe. however. that we
have not paid SUFFICIENT attention to
other paths of infection, especially to
the lips, mouth and hands. The fact
that the disease was much less COM
mon in army camps. where the steril-
ization of all eating utensils and
dishes was rigidly enforcedl shows
the importance of the mouth as an
avenue of infection"
The first experiment consisted in
thoroughly injecting the noses OF
about ten OF the men with cultures of
Pfeiffer's influenza bacillus viru-
lent germ commonly found In influ-
enza. None of the men developed
any symptoms. The next form of the
experiment was to take the secretions
from the noses and throats of infiu-
enza patients and place them in the
noses and throats of the volunteers
by means of swabs and sprays. The
time occupied in removing the dis
eased mucus from a sick man and
putting 1t into the nose or thorat OF
a we'll man was reduced to as little
as thirty seconds. Yet none of the
men so infected developed any symp-
toms of the disease.
Determined that Nhe tests should
be exhaustive. the doctors next sub
mitted a group of volunteers to infec-
tion by actual coughing and splitting.
For this purpose ten volunteers we're
selected, and ten bed patients who
had recently come down with severe
attacks of influenza. Each of the
volunteers leaned over the bed of
each of the ten sick men, conversed
with him q few minutes and allowed
the patient to cough directly in his
face, so that there should be no
doubt OF a transmission of diseased
| tissue. Each volunteer was thus ex-
, posed TO ten different cases OF influ-
enza, and was in close proximity with
them for not less than three-quarters
of an hour. Yet not one of these vol
unteers developed any symptoms OF
| influenza.
The results of this experiment have
left the medical world completely be.
wildered.
The theory which has apparently
been upset by these experiments was
originated by q famous French ply.
sician, Nicolle, who claimed to have
produced influenza with a material
obtained from mucous excretions. He
produced the disease with this mate
rial after altering 1t through a fint
porcelain filter, showing that a germ
was present which was not only toC
small to be detected, with the micro
scope, but too small even to be heit
back by the fine pores Of unglazet
porcelain. Foster, an American arm
surgeon, showed that common cold
were produced by an equally minutt
germ. The work OF Foster bore o,
directly on the problems presented b,
influenza that 1t may be said to havi
led to the experiments here described
The only thing which can be con
sidered proved about influenza so "a
is that II is still mystery, both as t
the nature of its causative germ AM
as to Its means Of transmission, AM
therefore especially dangerous.