The diamond drill., 1919-09-27

l.. :. Public Health Service Gives Out
Views Tor the Future.

|
flsat probably. but by no means
certainly. there wiliibe recurrence
of the influenza epidemic this year, 1
the word received from Surgeon Cen
eral Blue. OF the T. $, Public Healtl
service. BY DR.. + Med. IIarkin. Unit
led States surgeon, o. Marquette.
Tie surgeon general has issued an
exhaustive statement on the question
OF Influenza. In answer to the question
which Is being asked throughout the
country ss to whether the "nu" will
return
Indications are, the statement says
that should the epidemic occur it Will
not be as severe as the pandemic OF
last winter The federal health de
paftnent Is urging every city and
state official 70 be on the alert and 70
take every reasonable precaution 10
prevent the spread OF the disease IL
The eyenl q IT'S recurrence
The United States public health
service carried on a careful survey Of
/ the influenza epidemic OF i9lS-l9 in
every state and important city OF the
nation and even in foreign countries.
| All gxperts IN The service agreed that
recurrence OF the disease is not un-
likely. aud that 1t will be wise for the
country 10 be prepared
influenza Is spread by direct and in
direct contact. Ii is not yet certain
that the germ has been isolated, or
discovered and. as consequence
here is yet no positive preventative
except the enforcement Of rigid rules
OF sanitation and avoidance OF person
al contact.
A close relation between the influ-
enza pandemics and the constantly
Increasing pneumonia mortality rate
prior to the fall OF 1918 is recognized
BY the health service experts. 1t is
now believed that the disease was
widely disseminated throughout the
Tcountry before II was recognized in
Hits epidemic state.
sFhe surgeon-generals statement is,
IN part, as follows;
"Contrary 10 the opinion expressed
frequently during the early weeks OF
last years pandemc by n number oi
observers the studies Of the United
States Public Health Service indi
cates that the epidemic was not a
resh importation from abroad. Care
pi. study OF the mortality statistics
BIZ tie, United States shows that there
wero(a number OF extensive though
mild forerunners Of the pandemic dur
ing tie previous three or four years
In Chicago and New York in the win
er Of 1856 for example. these were
;uficienfly well marked TO occasion
considerable public comment al the
ime leading in the latter city, to 8
geIl organized Don't. spit, don't
neeze~ campaign on the part OF the
ealth authorities. The reports OF
4he Il. s. Public Health Service of
a anuary. 1916. show influenza to be
pldemic in p states, including prac-
ieally all sections OF the United
tates. The epidemic was generally
a mild type and has since been al
host forgotten. II occasioned, SOW
ver, noticeable increase In the rec
rd death rate from pneumonia.
"concerning the important question
IA immunity conferred by an attack
n influenza, the evidence is not con-
usive, but there is reason TO believe
hat an attack during the earlier
4 ages OF the epidemic confers con
8derable. but not absolute immunity
the later outbreaks.
Everything indicates that the in
reased mortality from pneumonia In
arch and April OF 1918 was the CON
<eouence OF a beginning and largely
nnoticed epidemic of influenza. the
egin5ing in this country OF the pan
emic which developed in the autumn
that year"