The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-05-07
Dr.. Simon FIexner Proposes
Combating Dread Disease
at Its Origin.
EASTERN EUROPE PLAGUE SPOT
Many Recorded Epidemics Shown to
Have Emanated From That Area
-Disease Claims More Victims
Than European War;

New Notwithstanding tn DR. Simon
FicNner, Director Of Laboratories Of
the Rockefeller Institute for Medical
Research. further occurrences of the
Influenza epidemic can b. prevented
only hy wipiny out the disease at its
source. In Il recent address before TIL.
Congress Of American Physicians and
Surgeons. later published by the Ameri-
can Medical Association. ht outlined
the path of the disease through its
sifferen, stages.
There are excellent reasons for re-
EIr,ling the endemic home of influenza
IL he Eastern Europe" he said and
In particular the border regions be-
tween Russia and Turke>tan. Many
recorded epit!einirS nave been shown
more or less clearly 10 rnailate from
that area. while the rpide,ncS Of re-
cent history have been traced there
with II high degree Of rnnclu>isene>s.
From this Eastern home. III intervals
af two or three decades, a migrating
epidemic influenza begins. moving east
ward and westward, with the greater
velocity in the latter direction.
Uncanny in Action.
1T" the casual observer there *
sone'h' NJ uneAnny in the way iuiln-
enza strikes doNn its victims While
Other eridaujrs proceed from bad to
worse. with at least progressive in
.rea>c> N intensity. ntluenza seems IL
oN"rWhelm communities over even Wild
-
Stup.ndouS blow Willie in tn. one
cas-. the gradually arcptrrating rate af
speed Of extension may h. taken ~
Indicate personal eonvpyance Of tn.
provoking micro-orga nisIl. in the other
the sudden wild. onset anl.:lrs The
Very negation If personal cnmmunica-
ton
; "Hsnr" The Invoking NJ mysterious
Influences the revival Of the not ion al
miaSn and similar agencies. Ia account
Tor This phenomenon. Indeed. III. pub
lie mind in general lends itself readily
Ia such formleSS concepts for The rr;l-
son that there still resides in the mass
Nf The people. even in the more .n-
1tGhf"ne,l countries, II large unrraii-
Gated residue of SuperSt itnn regard
inc disease. One does NOT need to hook
far "r dig deep in order 10 uncover
the source 81 this superstition. We
havs only Recently emerged from II
past In which knowledge Of the origin
0f disease was Srnrt. and such views
rs were rnmnoniy held and exploited
were mostly fal'arinuS. Ii is. indeed
very recently. II the transformation
CEN be- said Ia be- perfect even now
thar the medical profession rs II whole
has been completely ..,nanr,rniri. All
this Is very far from being matter
W remote 'mpnrtnnc" only. since in
tn" end III" successful imposition of
sanitary regulations involves wide 60
operation: and until tn. ma jnri,y nj in
si'vidnalS composing Il community is
brought I" a fair level of understand
Ing NJ AMI belief In the measures pro-
passed. Seri.us and sustained andeayor
ia enforce them is scarcely Ia I've ex-
psc,e!
outing a Bueaboo.
'And YET no better instance nf n
communicable disease could perhaps he
3nvokca than influenza ~ exerciS. The
false idea NJ the mysterious origin nj
s'pi,!s'ni,'S. Tn dwell solely on the sud
slsu anal over" halrlin. Stroke nf ihn
sEss:s>a is Wholly 10 nyerlnok the
~i.-n'il", NJ Incidents tn, pr..r,!e the
mss II i,,n he,;li>.. th.v are ri
such "ri nary nature and ia.k all d'a