The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-31
<BY DIR. EARLE G. BROWN.
City Health Officer.

No other disease is SO widely cpl
demic as influenza. 1t is of interest to
note that the disease is always named
after it's supposed geographic origin;
e. g., the epidemic of 1888. usually
called Spanish Flu" because it was
supposed to have originated in Spain.
Likewise, at various times we have
had Chinese influenza, italian influ-
enza. etc. In April and May OF 1918
in several coast towns of California,
there was mild epidemic of influenza
and because of the fact that several
Japanese battleships had visited the
harbors, the disease was popularity
known as japanese Fever"
Influenza is a specific infective dis
ease, transmitted largely by the secre-
lions from the nose and throat, occa-
sionally by means of clothes, endemic
over the entire world, chara cterized by
it's unparalleled rapidity of extension
and the great number of people at
tackled.
1.-THE rapidity of its spread Is due
mainly to three factors: First, the
great virulence of the germ; the uni
versal susceptibility and the fact that
many moderately sick individuals fire.
quent cars, schools, churches and
places of business.
Influenza is a disease of very ancient
origin. Hippocrates mentions an cpl
demic in the year Alp B. c. that in
all probability was due to influenza.
According to Hirsch, the first epidemic
occurred in 1173. There was another
outbreak in 1887, another in 1411 and
since that time outbreaks have been
rather frequent. The first great cpl
demic in North America occurred in
1880 and this was followed by others
in 1927, 1929, 1857, 1871, 1871 1895,
1874, 1889 and the last great cpl
demic in 191819. Since 1929, cpl
denies have appeared in this country
at an average interval of % years, the
longest free interval being 3S years
and the shortest Is years. We cam
not help, therefore, but deduce that
an epidemic comes about once in a
generation.
The Germ of Influenza.
Pfeiffer in 1892 announced to the
world that he had discovered the cause
of influenza. That it was due to a rod
shaped germ, non-motile and, in the
latter stage of the disease found in
the white coTpuscleS of the sputum.
Germs lie in lines like schools of
fish"
This germ. Pfieffer stated, he first
saw in sputum preparation obtained
from a patient in the spring of 1890.
He was not able, however, to grow the
germ until 1892. The organism grows
only on certain materials at body tenn
perature and is rapidly overgrown by
other germs.
The statement. that the organism
Pfeiffer discovered was the true cause
of influenza had never really been
questioned until the epidemic of
191S-'19. 1t is stated that when the
epidemic began in Germany, Pfeiffer
himself was unable to grow his own
germs from the cases. Later reports
tho show that the germ was subse-
quently recovered from many cases.
keegan studied the epidemic at the
naval hospital, Chelsea, Mass. He
found no uniformity Of results in
growing the germs. but he did find at
autopsy the Pfeiffer germ in 80 per
cent OF cases. Opie, who studied the
epidemic at Camp Pike, found the
germ in 81 per cent of cases, while at
autopsy he foul d it in Sc per cent of
cases. In autopsy on cases of inf1u-
enza- pneumonia, he found the germ
in SO per cent
AItho Pfe1ffer announced this germ
as the true cause of influenza, there is
great question now raised by emf
nent medical men as to this germ real
" being the sole cause of the disease.
Some investigators contend that this
germ is not the cause of influenza.
while others contend that it is. Still
other investigators believe there are at
least two types of germs concerned in
the production of the disease.
Symptoms of Influenza.
There are very few persons who are
not familiar to a certain extent with
the symptoms of influenza There is
usually preliminary period of one
| to three days. when the person feels
badly. Outlines the attack begins
with a chill followed by headache, in
tense baekache, running eyes and
nose, fever and a cough.
There are several types of influ-
enza, the most common being the
respiratory type affecting the organs
! of respiration. The gastro-intestinal
type of influenza is also rather COM
mon.
| The respiratory type of infection Is
attended by fever, a heavy cough, a
poisoning of the whole system and not