The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1920-04-23
Or. Simon FIexner Proposes
Combating Dread Disease
at Its Origin.
EASTERN EUROPE PLAGUE SPOT
Many Recorded Epidemics Shown &c
Have Eliminated From That Area
Disease Claims More Victims
Than European War.

New YOrk.-AccOrding to DIR. Simon
Flexner, Director Of Laboratories of
the Rockefeller Institute for Medical
Research, further occurrences Of the
Influenza epidemic can be prevented
only by wiping out the disease at Its
source. In recent address before the
Congress Of American Physicians and
Surgeons, later published by the Ameri-
can Medical Association, he outlined
the path Of the disease through its
different stages.
There are excellent reasons for re-
garding the endemic home Of influenza
to be Eastern Europe" he said, land
In particular the border regions be-
tween Russia and Turkestan. Many
recorded epdemics have been shown
more or less clearly to emanate from
that area. while the epidemics Of re-
cent history have been traced there
with high degree Of conclusiveness.
From this Eastern home, Mt intervals
Of two or three decades, migrating
epidemic influenza begins, moving east.
Vohu anu NCotWuiu, WIN tAC 6iSdtSI
velocity in the latter direction.
Uncanny In Action.
ITO the casual observer there Is
something uncanny in the way infiu.
enza strikes down It's victims. While
other epidemics proceed from bad to
worse, with Mt least progressive in
creases in intensity. influenza seems tG
overwhelm communities over even wild
er stretches Of territory as by single
stupendous blow. While in the on,
case the gradually accelerating rate OF
speed Of extension may be taken t.
indicate personal conveyance of ths
provoking micro-organlsm. in the othel
the sudden wide onset appears thu
very negatiOn Of personal communities
tiOn.
"Hence the invoking Of mysterou!
Influences, the revival OF the notion O
mlasm and similar agencies, to accoun
for this phenomenon. Indeed, the nub
lie mind in general lends itself readil.
son that there still resides In the mas
Of the people. even In the more en-
lightened countries. large uneradi
Gated residue OF superstition regard
ing disease. One does not need to Tool
far or dig deep in order to uncove
the source Of this superstition. w
have only recently emerged from
past In which knowledge of the origil
Of disease was scant. and such view
as were commonly held and exploite,
were g,ostly fallacious. 1t is, indeed
very eecently. II the trnnsformatiol
can. &c said to be perfect even now
that the medical profession as Who'll
has been completely emancipated. Al
this Is very far from being matte
OF remote Importance only. since 4
the end the successful imposition O
sanitary regulations involves wide &C
operation and until the majority OF ir
divlduals composing community
brought to fair level Of understand
Ing Of and belief in the measures pre-
posed, serious and sustained endeavo
10 enforce them Is scarcely to be e.
/, pected.
Routing q Bugaboo.
and yet no better instance Of
communicable disease could perhaps b
invoked than Influenza to exercise tn
false idea Of the mysterious origin {
fpidemics. To dwell solely on the su,
den and overwhelming stroke Of tn
disease Is wholly to overlook II
! Significant incidents that precede tn
mass infection, because they are {
! och srdinass nature and LAX all dr.