The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-10-02

toms of fever, pain, depression, are by
their onset as they are in influenza.
Finally ordinary colds do not spread
through the community so rapidly or
so extensively as does influenza.
In most cases a person taken sick
with influenza feels sick rather sud-
denly. He feels weak, has pain in
the eyes, ears, head or back, abdomen,
etc, and may be sore all over. Many
patients feel dizzy, some vomit. Most
of the patients complain of feeling
chilly, and with this comes a fever in
which the temperature rises to 100
to loaf. In most cases the pulse re-
mains relatively slow.
In appearance one is struck by the
fact that the patient looks sick. His
eyes and the inner of his eyelids may
be slightly 'bloodshot," or "congest-
ed" as the doctors say. There may
be running from the nose, or there
may be some cough. These signs of
cold may not be marked; nevertheless
the patient looks and feels very sick.
In a number of instances during the
recent pandemic a large proportion
of the cases of influenza showed an
intestional (diarrheaD type of infec-
ton.
In addition to the appearance and
the symptoms as already described,
examination of the patients blood
may aid the physician in recognizing
Spanish Influenza; ;" for it has been
found that in this disease the number
of white corpuscles shows little Or no
| increase above normal.
WHAT IS THE COURSE OF THE
DISEASE? DO PEOPLE DIE
OF IT?
AS already mentioned most of the
cases are apparently infections of
the respiratory organs and resemble
a very contagious kind of "cold."
Sometimes, however, respiratory
symptoms are entirely absent and
there are merely severe depression,
weakness, aches, and pains through
out the body, and some fever. In still
symptom.
Ordinarily, the fever lasts from
three to four days and the patient re-
covers. But while the proportion OF
deaths is usually low, in some places
the outbreak is severe and deaths are
numerous. When death occurs it is
usually the result of the development
of pneumonia or of some other com.
plication.
WHAT CAUSES THE DISEASE
AND HOW IS 1T SPREAD?
Psychologists who have studied
influenza epidemics in the past have
found in many of the cases a yer!
small rod-shaped germ called, aftel
it's discoverer, Pfeiffer's bacillus. II
other cases of apparently the same
kind of the disease there were founC
pneumococci, the others have beef
caused by streptococci, and by othe1
germs.
Several European observers, on tn,
basis of experiments conducted dur
ing the recent pandemic, believe tina
the germ of influenza is no ordinar.
bacterium but that it belongs to
class of exceedingly small germs spok
en- of as "filterabIe viruses," becaus
they can pass through the pores o
unglazed porcelain filters.
No matter what particular kind O
germ causes the epidemic, it is nov
known that influenza is spread direct
ly and indirectly from person to per
r son. Moreover, judging from exper
fence in other diseases, it is probabl
that the germ, whatever its nature,
carried about not only by those VIII
; are i'll with influenza but by person
who may be entirely well. Every
thing which increases personal con
tact, therefore, should be recognize
! as a factor in spreading influenza
y It is clear that there are many diff
ferent ways in which such germs ma
be spread from person to person
f Thus they may be spread quite direct
I ly by being carried with the air alon
with the very small droplets of mucu
/ expelled by coughing, sneezing, force
full talking, and the like by one VIII
D already has the germs of the disease
e To guard against this mode of sprea
4 the use of face masks has been &C
v vocated. Though the use of suitabl
n constructed masks will reduce tn
- interchange of respiratory germ
d through inhalation, it must be remen
: bered that there are many other path
C by which such germs are spread, e
/, ther directly or Indirectly. Sole
e hands, common drinking cups, imprC
y perly cleaned eating and drinkin
e utensils in restaurants, soda four
i tains, etc. The use of face masks al
r pears to make people neglect thes
j. other paths of infection, and therefor
d such use has not been attended wit
the success predicted for them.
Is we would be more successful in con
l.. batting influenza, greater attentio
= must be paid to the factors just enl
merated.