Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-11-24

of influenza epidemics. In Eastern
Russia and Turkestan, Influenza
spreads with the pace Of caravan.
in Europe and America with the speed
of an express train, and in the world
at large with the rapidity of an ocean
liner; and if one project forward the
outcome Of the means of intercom-
munication of the near future. we may
one arise, will extend with the swift
ness of an airship.
Moreover. not only is this rate of
spread determined by the nature of
the Transportation facilities of the re
gion or The era, but towns and villages.
mainland and island. are invaded early
or late or preserved entirely from
attack according as they lie within
or without the avenues of approach or
are protected by inaccessibility. IS in
instances of remote mountain settle
ments and of islands distant from
ocean lanes or frozen in during winter
periods.
To Avert Recurrences.
1T is desirable, in the interest OF
clear thinking, to carry this eonsidera-
tion of the characteristics of epidemic
Influenza a step further. a feature
of the epidemic disease of particular
! significance is the tendency to recur.
! that is. to return to a stricken region
after m interval. usually of months of
reiQtiye quiescence.
Thus the beginning of the last pan
denic in Europe and~the United States
has boen traced to sporadic cases ap-
pearng in April, May and June. pos
! sibly even earlier in certain places.
while the destructive epidemic raged
| during September. October and Novem-
! Der of 1918 There are very good rea-
/ sons for believing that in itself in
] auenZa is not a serious disease. but
| that its sinister character is given by
| the remarkable frequency with which
! Il is followed, under particular circum-
>iinces by a concomitant or secondary
| rinnumonic infection to which the Sc
we're effects and high mortality are
| traceable."
The manner in which TO fight dis
eases of this nature is, according to DR..
! F'leXner, one of central rather than
peripheral control," that is. fighting
the disease at it's source rather than
|
it after it has spread to distant cen
tiers. To quote:
According to this proposal, an ef-
fort at control amounting even to even
tual eradication of the diseases in the
regions of their endemic survival would
he undertaken. an effort, indeed, not
occasional and intensively spasmOdic
as during the pandemic excursi nns
hut continuous over relatively long
periods, In the hope that the seed
beds. as it were, of the disease might
be destroyed.
ssThat such an effort at the eradica
ton of a serious epidemic disease may
be carried through successfully, the ex
nerience with yellow fever abundant,
proves. In attacking that disease, thu
combat was not put off until, its cpl
aemic spread had begun and until new
. territory. such as New Orleans, Jack
sonville and Memphis, had beer in
, vaded; but the attack was made on it
sources at Havana, Panama and nov
GuayaQutl, to which endemic points tn
| extensions into new and neutral terri
DRY had been traced.
More Victims Than War.
, "In proposing to strive for the higl
! achievement, not merely of parryin
the blows struck by destructive cpl
denies, but Of rendering them i'm
e potent 70 strike in the future, we ma
pause for a moment to reflect on tn
different ways in which peoples reac
to great calanities, such as tlos
brought by war and by disease. AS tn
results of cruel and devasting wal
y revolutions in governments suppose
the most stable may occur; no~suc
result follows on still more devasta
ing epilemics. The recent epidemic @
p influenza claimed, possibly, more vic
o Tins than did the great war, and th
o losses to the world in emotion spen
f treasure consumed, ands progress in
! peded are incalculable; yet, tfroug
o. fortuitous circumstance of psyche
9 ,ogy. from the one calamity the worl
@ may emerge chastened, perhaps eve
f hettered. while from the other, becaus
, | OF depth of ignorance amounting of
{ en- to fatalism, mankind may largel
: miss the deep meaning of the lesson.