The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1919-10-09

INFLUENZA

INFLUENZA
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Following is the revised text OF
the popular leafet on influenza pub
lished by the Public Health Service
last year. This will be reprinted
and made available for wide distrl-
button to meet the demands OF
health officers and others interested
in the control of the disease. The
reprint will thus supersede Supple
ment No. "a. Copies may be OBJ
tanned by addressing the Surgeon
General, United States Public
Health Service, Washington, ID. u.
Spanish Inauenza"-"The Flu"
What is Spanish influenza? Is it
something new? Does it come
from Spain?
The disease called "Spanish in
Auenza" usually resembles a very
contagious kind of "cold" accom-
panied by fever, pains in the mead,
ewes. ears, back or other parts OF
the body, and a feeling OF severe
sickness. In most of the cases the
symptoms disappear after three or
four days, the patient then rapidly
recovering; some of the PATIENTS
however, develop pneumonia, or IN
fIammation of the ear, or menln-
gifts; and many of these compli-
Gated cases die. Sometimes the
symptoms are so mild that the true
condition is unsupported. Spanish
influenza" is apparently Identical
with the epidemics of influenza OF
earlier years.
In this connection attention IS
called to the fact that the pandemlc
of 1S89-189l originated in emma
and was carried to Russia, where "
was known as "Chinese influenza
From Russia it spread turnout Eu-
rope and was spoken of as Rus
sian influenza" Introduced from
Europe into the United States it
was caller European influenza
and finally when it crossed the Pa
cifc into Japan it was called
"Amercan influenza"
tied this country since l647. 1t is
interesting to know that this first
epedemic was brought here from
Valencia, Spain. Since that time
there have been numerous epidem-
les of the disease. In 1889 and
1890 the disease was epidemic over
practically the entire civilized
world. Three years later there was
another fare-up of the disease.
both times the epidemic spread
widely over the United States. ;
Although the recent epidemic is
called Spanish influenza" inves-
tigation has shown that it did not
originate in Spain.
We now know tfat there was an
undue prevalence of influenza in
the United States for several years
preceding the recent great pan
demie. Because the disease oc'
Cured in a mild form, and because
the public mind was focused on the
war, this increased prevalence OF
the disease escaped attention. No
until the epidemic appeared il
severe form in Boston in Septem
Der, 1918, did it excite any specla
interest
How can Spanish influenza be rec
ognized?
There is as yet no certain way II
which a single case of Spanish in
fluenza" can be recognized; on tn
other hand, recognition is cas-,
where there is group of cases
In contrast to the outbreaks of or
binary coughs and colds, which usu
ally occur in the cold months, cpl
denies of influenza may occur a
any season of the year; this tn
recent epidemic ragged most intense
ly in Europe in May, June and Jul
of 1918. Moreover, in the case o
ordinary colds, the general SYM
toms fever, pain, depfesson) al
by no means as severe or as sue
den in their onset as they are
influenza. Finally, ordinary colo
do not spread thru the communit
so rapidly or so extensively as doe
influenza.
In most cases a person taken sic
with influenza feels sick rather SUI
denly. He feels weak, has pains
the eyes, ears, head or back, a
domen, etc, and may be sore &
over. Many patients feel dizz
some vomit. Most of the patien
complain of feeling chilly, and wi
this comes a fever in which t
temperature rises to 100 to Il
degrees F. In most cases the puI
remains relatively slow.
In appearance one is struck
Nllnlnrll