New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-29

1907, E. c. Morland noted that SIX
tuberculosis patients with slight in
fuenza infection suffered no diminu-
ton of opsonic power while their
(healthy) medical attendant had a
severe attack which brought down his
index to the low value of 0.6S.
1.-The Boston Medical and Surgical
Journal of January Is contains q re-
markable paper by DR.. D. B. Armstrong
dealing with the same point. He refers
to the fact, so wildly impressed upon
US during the last few months, that
influenza attacks with special viru-
lence and causes a high mortality
among those in the prime Of life, in
the best physical condition, and most
free from disease.
This difference between the strong
and the weak DR.. Armstrong adds, ap-
pears to be due not to the fact that
the former are predisposed to in
f1uenza, but that the latter are in some
way protected against it. In Fran
ingham, Mass, the organization of the
Community Health and tuberculosis
Demonstration furnishes reliable sta
tistics o. the point. In the recent
first eridemic of influenza about .16
per &C the entire population we're
attacked while only per cent of the
tubercu sosis portion were Moreover
most OF the tuberculosis persons had
the disease in an arrested form and
were going about and working, and
therefore were as much exposed to
infection as the remaining part of the
population. Indeed, in the arrested
cases the incidence was only per
cent. Figures from other communities
presented at Chicago bear out the
birmingham experience.
"The fatality rate showed the same
contrast as the incidence rate; other
observations are also in agreement
1t is stated that in Washington and
st. Louis, where there are large negro
populations, influenza, fatal and other
wise, was relatively much less preva-
lent among the negroes than the
among negroes is we'll known. Amer
lean army medical officers have fire.
quently said that in the camps the
Northern boy lived while the Southern
boy died; the city boy lived while
the country boy died. Was this due
to the fact that the one was more
frequently tuberculized than the other?
1t has been stated that this greater
susceptibility Of the healthy is true for
all types Of acute Infection"
1t is interesting to note, the writer
observes, that in typhoid epidemics
the strongest individuals are the
readiest victims, and he continues:
"But may not this be due to the fact
that typhoid infection lowers the re-
sistance to acute respiratory disease
and that it is to this complication, as
in the case of influenza, the healthy
individual succumbs? Thus the sug-
gestion is that a kind of vaccination
against acute respiratory disease re-
suits from chronic respiratory disease.
This form Of immunity may, as in
dictated above, have a relation to race.
birmingham statistics showed that the
incidence of tuberculosis for the whole
population was % per cent, but for
the Italian part only 0.5, while for
those Of Irish stock it was 40 per cent.
"In tho influenza epidemic, on the
other hand, there were four times as
much influenza and pneumonia among
tho Italians as among the rest of the
community, made up in large part OF
Irish and Irish American stock. Should
subsequent investigation prove that
chronic respiratory disease, particular
ly tuberculosis, regardless Of the race
factor, In measure protects against
acute respiratory disease, what is the
practical bearing? The disadvantages
of chronic disease certainly outweigh
any advantage conferred by protection
against acute disease. DR.. Armstrong;
view IL that the solution should be
found, as in the case Of smallpox, in
some form Of artificial immunization.
Anti-infiuenzal vaccination thus has its
supporters in many lands"