The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-28
PLAIN SPEECH
ABOUT THE FLU

Or. Aivah n. Doty, writing from hia
large knowledge and long experience,
contributes to the current issue OF
The New York Medical Record ian
article equally interesting and import.
ant on right and wrong methods OF
dealing with communicable diseases
especially by health boards and other
public offiGials. He uses as his text
or leading Illustration, last years in.
fiuenxa epidemic. and presents. In ex-
PLANTATION of its high mortality. the
fact that the infection came to this
country at a time when several years
OF high nervous tension, combined
with q reduced diet and the general
eating in considerable quantities OF
cereals that are not adequate or even
innocuous substitutes for wheat, had
appreciably reduced the resisting pow
ers of practically our whole popula-
ton.
That the influenza deaths we're es-
pecially numerous in our training
camps. he insists. does not impugn
the validity of this theory. and II
should be surprising only to those, I'M
aware that many of the recruits. far
from being exemplars of youthful
health and strength. were under
nourished and anaemic. They were
accepted for military service, not for
what they were when drafted. but for
what they could be and were made
by good food, intelligent exercise. and
an outdoor life. The epidemic came
before the change had been effected
and naturally the mortality in the
camps was high. A mystery that has
puzzled many is thus, II not wholly
cleared up, at least rendered much
less dark,
AS is we'll known. DR.. Doty has nc
respect for, and little patience with
the 'femites" theory of infection, and
hence, in this article as often before
he assails as useless or worse many Of
the most commonly used measures
supposed to be protective. He says
for instance, that it was mistake tt
close schools. churches. and places OF
amuseme nt while the epidemic was IT
progress. the reason given by him be
ing that children and adults gathered
in them are in less danger OF tnfec'
ton than in the less we'll regulated
and supervised places where they as
semble when barred from these
places.
Far better than closure would have
been a careful and competent exami
nation of those present and the imme
date segregation OF the light. ambu
| liant cases OF illness by which all in
1 lSCllouS arc I4lESliS 2ASAA soANINr ~
| the wearing of face masks by persons
not thoroughly instructed as TO thei'
possibilities and limitations DIR. Dot,
has only condemnation. The furiga
| ton and disinfection OF houses anf
public vehicles DR.. Doty declares TO b.
mostly waste of time and money. Dis
ease, in his opinion, is never carried
| by things. but always by persons. Rat
pickers and sorters are. as healthy al
any other class of people, and treas
ury employees who handle great guam
| titles of unclean paper money suffei
no iii effects from it.
Such safety from infection as car
be attained. DR. Doty says, will come
from the education of the genera
public in the true methods of guard
/ ing against 1t. The instruction nov
| given is often unwise and more Otter
so contradictory as to be only con
| fusing to those who receive il Healtf
! teaching should be standardized anf
simplified. and il should be far bette
! distributed than now.