The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-02-27
JNFLJIENZA is A MYSTERY.
So Far 1t Has Defeated Medical skill
and Science.
(Bv Frederick J. Haskin.)

fling mystery than ever. and which
at the same tome places on record
an act of self-sacrifcing heroism by
about 100 naval volunteers. has just
been completed by officers of the Uni
ted States public health service CO.
operating with medical officers OF the
United States navy at Boston and
San Francisco.
AS nearly every one knows, sclen-
lists all over the world, in combat
ing the spread of influenza which is
Still going on, have proceeded on the
assumption that it is transmitted
chiefly by coughing and splitting. The
theory has been that the diseased mu-
Gus thrown out by these acts is filled
with the germs of influenza, which
thus find lodgment in healthy tissue.
All the experiments heretofore made
seem to indicate strongly that infiu-
enza is transmitted in this way, and
it is we'll accepted that most other
respiratory diseases are so carried.
The latest experiment consisted in
submitting the 100 men who volun-
teered for the purpose to every pos
sible method of infection with 1nfu-
enza germs through the nose and
throat. These men risked their lives
for the general good, and for the ad-
yancement of science. They went
through singular trying and repul-
siVe ordeal. They, and every one
else, believed that they were being
inoculated with the dread disease
which is destroying millions of lives
all over the world. Their heroism
Isl fully equal to that displayed some
years ago by the men of the army
medical army corps who exposed
themselves in Cuba to the bites OF
mosquitoes in order to determine
finally whether yellow fever was
transmitted by that insect. The only
difference in the two experiments
was in the result. Some of the Off
GERS who exposed themselves to the
bite of the mosquito contracted yell
10y fever, and one of them died,
thereby establishing the soundness
OF their theory. The volunteers who
submitted themselves to incubation
with the germs of influenza were
fully expected to take the disease,
and were prepared to die. But not
one of them developed any symp-
toms of Influenza.
This astonishing negative result,
which is the sensation of the day in
scientific circles should not tempt any
one to be careless in the matter of
coughing and splitting or in exposing
himself to infection by those acts. AS
officials of the public health service
point out, it may be that the germs
.of the disease disappear as soon as
or Immediately after the symptoms
appear. Something like this is true
of other diseases. In measles, for
for. example, it has been found that
the germs which cause the disease
lare all gone within five or six days
after the appearance of the rash,
and the case is no longer contagious.
The discovery of this fact, which was
made by Anderson and Goldberger
of the public health service only a
few years ago has led to shortening
the quarantine for measles by more
than half.
6 1'These new experiments in the
transmission of Influenza said Sur
geon General Blue, 'Eshow how diff
cult is the Influenza problem. They
by no means indicate that we can af-
ford to disregard coughing, sneezing
and splitting as common means of
spreading disease, and even in the
case of influenza this source of infec-
t1Ou SuOulu always UO Uo1 hO III AlAAN'
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 common in
army camps where the sterilization
OF all eating utensils and dishes was
rigidly enforced, shows the impor-
tance of the mouth as an avenue OF
infection"
There can be no doubt that these
experiments at Boston and San Fran
cisco were carried out with the ut
most thoroughness. Lieutenant
Commander Rosenau of the navy
medical corps and Surgeon Joseph
Goldberger of the public health SER
vice were the officers in charge of
the Boston experiment, which was
made at the quarantine station on
, Co11on leland Fortv-covoD men