The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-01-06
CAN'T TELL ABOUT lNfLtE ENZA'
One Attack Seems to Confer Immune
ty for Several Years.

Washington, Dec. Lt.- 1ueIe Il
absolutely no way Of definitely fore
telling whether this winter will wit
ness any recurrence of influenza in
epidemic form.' said Surgeon General
H S. Cumming, of the United States
Public Health Service. "->s result
however, of very careful analyses OF
the epidemiology of influenza, especl-
ally as the result Of intensive studies
in homes where influenza occurred IN
1918 and 1919, it may be stated that
an attack of influenza appears to con-
fer a definite immunity to subsequent
attacks; immunity lasting for several
years. Inasmuch as the epidemic OF
1918 and 1919 affected So very large
proportion of the population there
would seem to be reasonable grounds
for believing that even should 'nu
become prevalent here and there, 1t
would not assume the epidemic pro-
portions of the past two years. nor
would it rage in such severe form.
stIt is unfortunate the public De-
comes so intensely interested in spec
tacular epidemic outbreaks of dis
ease and is so little moved by the
dailv occurrence of many preVenta0le
deaths in all parts of the country. vi
the one and one-Quarter million
deaths occurring in the United States
annually, at least 100000 could easily
be prevented by the application OF
available medical knowledge. For
example. one of the diseases which
becomes prevalent about this time OF
the year is diptheria. This disease
is responsible for about 5000 deaths
in the United States annually. Prac-
ticallv every one of these deaths could
be prevented, for not only have we
an effective anti-toXin for treating
the disease when it occurs, but what
is still more important, we are now
able by means Of a simple skin test
to determine which children are sus-
ceptible to diptheria, and this ascer-
tanned, we can effectively immunize
them so as to protect them against
this disease.
''The 10000 or more deaths from
typhoid fever that occur annually in
the United States could also be large
ly prevented if communities every
where would make certain that their
water and milk supplies were pro-
tected, and if simple precautions we're
taken in homes where typhoid fever
occurs. 1t is encouraging to know
that smallpox has been so we'll con-
trolled that at present the average
deaths from it in the United States
number only 400 annually. Neverthe-
less, these 400 deaths are entirely un-
necessary, for vaccination has long
shown itself an effective means OF
CONTROL"
In almost every community in the
country the wastage in infant lives
is still enormous, especially when
contrasted with that in New leland,
for example, where the death rate is
only 50 per thousand births in the
first year of life as against 100 in the
United States.
Commenting on this, Surgeon Cen
eral Cumming said: THE expense Of
life saving through the prevention
and control of disease by we'll directed
health measures is very small indeed
when contrasted with the saving ef-
fected. I would strongly urge the
people of this country to recognize
the fact that expenditures in this
direction constitute the most profit
able form of investment. Effective
measures Of health conservation con-
stitute most urgent need Of this re-
II