New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-04-23

municatlOn of the near future. we may
predict that the mex pandemic. should
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, as In
instances of remote mountain settle
ments and Of islands distant from
ocean lanes or frozen in during winter
periods.
To Avert occurrences.
at is desirable, In the interest of
clear thinking, to carry this considera-
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 n stricken region
after an interval, usually of months Of
relative quiescence.
"Thus the beginning of the last pan
demic In Europe and the United States
has been traced to sporadic cases ap
pearing in April, May and June, pos
sibly wen earlier In certain places.
while the destructive epidemic ragged
during September, October and Novem-
her of 1918. There are very good rea-
sons for believing that in itself In
tiuenZa is not n serious disease, but
that Its sinister character Is given by
the remarkable frequency with which
II is followed, under particular circum-
stances by a %concomitant or secondary
pneumonia 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 DIR.
FleXner. one Of central rather than
p%erlpheral CONTROL" that is. fighting
the disease at its source rather than
waging n series Of campaigns against
II after 1t has spread to distant cen
tiers. To quote:
h'''ihih@ w lhlN Ih'fN'Nul, dn Il
fort nj 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.
ms during the pandemic excursions.
hut continuous over relatively long
periods, In the hope that the seed
beds, rs II were, of the disease might
be destroyed.
That such an effort Mt the eradica-
tion Of a serious epidemic disease may
he carried through successfully. the ex-
perience with yellow fever abundantly
proves. In attacking that disease, the
combat was not put of until its cpl
demic spread had begun and until new
territory, such as New Orleans, Jack
sonville and Memphis. had been in
vaded but the attack was made on its
sources nj Havana. Panama and now
.Guayaquil, TO which endemic points the
extensions into new and neutral terri
DRY had been traced.
More Victims Than War.
"In proposing 10 strive for the high
achievement, not merely of parrying
the blows struck by destructive cpl
denies. but Of rendering them i'm
potent TO strike In the future. we may
pause for a moment 10 reflect on the
different ways In which peoples react
to great calamities. such as those
brought by war and by disease. As the
Of a cruel and devastlng war.
revolutions in governments supposed
the most stable may occur: no such
follows on sin more deyastat-
ing epidemics. The recent epidemic Of
influenza claimed, possibly. more vic
tins than did the great war. and the
to the world in emotion spent,
treasure consumed. and progress i'm
peded are i~ncnlculabIe: yet. through
n %fortuitous circumstance of psychol-
ogy. from the one calamity the world
may emerge chastened, perhaps even
bettered. while from the other. because
Of a depth Of ignorance amounting oft
fO fafalfern mankind may larcoiy