The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-04-23

munlcatiOn of the near future, we may
predict that the next 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 lnnceessibilIty. 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-
ton of the characteristics of epidemic
Influenza step further. A feature
of the epidemic disease of particular
significance is the tendency TO recur,
that Is. to return to q 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 even earlier In certain places,
while the destructive epidemic ragged
during September, October and Novem-
Der of 1918. There are very good rea-
sons for believing that in itself In
fiuenza is not n serious disease, but
that It's sinister character is given by
the remarkable frequency with which
II Is followed, under particular circum-
stances by 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
peripheral CONTROL" that Is. Fighting
the disease at its source rather than
waglng series Of campaigns against
II after II has spread to distant CEN
tiers. To quote:
According to this proposal. nm ef-
fort at control amounting even to even
tual eradication of the diseases In the
regions Of their endemic survival would
be undertaken. an effort. indeed. not
occasional and intensively spasmodic,
as during the pandemic excursions,
but. continuous over relatively long
periods, in the hope that the seed
beds, as 1t were, of the disease might
be destroyed
"That such an effort at the eradica-
ton of serious epidemic disease may
be carried through successfully. the ex.
perlence with yellow fever abundantly
proves. In attacking that disease, the
combat was not put off until its cpl
demlc spread had begun and untll new
territory. such MS New Orleans. Jack
sonville and Memphis, had been in
vaded; but the attack was made on Its
sources at Havana, Panama and now
Guayaquil, to which endemic points the
extensions into new and neutral terri
DRY had been traced.
more Victims Than War.
'1n proposing to 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 moment to reflect on the
different why's In which peoples renct
TO great cnlamities, such as those
brought by war and By disease. As the
results of a cruel and devasting war,
revolutions IN governments supposed
the most stable may occur: no such
result follows on still more devastat-
ing epidemicss The recent epidemic Of
Influenza claimed. possibly, more vic
tins than did the great war. and the
losses 10 the rorfd IN emotion spent,
treasure consumed. and progress i'm
peded are incslcnlable: yet. through
fortuitous Circumstance OF psychol-
ogy. from the uns calamity the world
may emerge chsatened. perhaps even
bettered, while f-sm the other. because
Of a depth of lgrsSunce amounting oft
en- to fatalism. mankind may lnrgely
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