Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-24
WHAT'S KNOWN Of FLU
AND HON TO FIGHT It
Former New York Health OF.
flcsv Tells OF Disease, lts
Prevention and Cure.


Dr. Alvnh ~. Doty. former health
pssc~r Of New York City. writes In the
Msdkal Record relating to tho IN
nucnsa and Its Prevention" ~ fol-
lows
Tho ccmmcncst dseaae Of mankind.
an acute infection Of the upper rcspi-
ratory passages most frequently called
influenza or grippe, has had In
Vulnerable names proposed for II. In
nuenHw, grippe and cold were un-
douht edly coined by the lai'y. Tor they
have not tho slightest scientific sig
ntncance. Tho word influenza. In OF
Italian origin and was suggested dur
Ing the seventeenth century. for II
WAS believed that this disease was the
rcs,slt ~ some influence cxertcd by
he staru. henc. Influenza. Grippe was
proposed by the French about tho
sAmc period. Tho term cold In OF later
origin and 10 tho most reasonable OF
al t"rms employed for II gives q Glow
To Some of the exciting causes Of the
disease---climatlc changes. exposure,
o.. The terms all refer TO the same
type of Infection which prevails chief
~ durin9 the cold weather.
the last 400 years at least tho medical
profession has discussed the ctiology
Of this disease. and unfortunately ex-
act knowledge In s,lll wanting. The
presumption established by Pfeifycr
In 1898 that he had discovered the
spcrinc organism OF influenza has not
been confirmed. IL il tho common
practice In tho profession and laity
TO refer to n mid Infection OF this
typc ss u cold and to moro ahrup,
and serious one as influenza or
grippe. This II neither logical no,
reasonable, for a generally satisfac-
tory difr~rcntisl diagnosis cannot b,
made.
Furthermore. an attempt 10 do this
In not without danger for both In,
family physician and patient are apt
to overlook tho fact that what In ap-
psrcntlyf . so-called simple cold may
abruptly change its character and ar-
sumo n serious form. To discard
those meaningless terms and substi.
tute one which has some scientin,
value would be distinctly advantaweou.
TO tho medical profession as well a,
the public. Under the present prac
ucc tho Inconsistency OF a municipal
health ordinance which calls for th'
reporting OF influenza Is obvious. Tn,
physician does no, know what class o.
csse clearly comes within this meaning
and neither do health officials.
so-called influenza. grippe or col,
II due TO tho presence OF certain In
fcctious organisms found upon tn,
mucous membrane OF the Air passa ges
particularly the nose and throat
therefore every reasonable mean,
should bc employed TO prevent ,h'
transmission OF the infectious agent
from ono person To another. We shoul,
ALEC maintain good health by CAREFUL,
observing the laws OF personal hyRien,
and avoid the well known exciting
causeA such A. undue exposure e
cold. abrupt climatic chanGea i'm.
proper dr~ss. wet or damp feet O,
clothing and drafts; the latter are %
generally accepted an a common ex.
cisant OF colds that II would eecm un,
wise 10 open the window. Of publ,
vehicles, particularly subway cars
which allow the entrance AZ one poln
Of current of air under great pres
sure. the effect az which upon those II
tho vicinity may well be understood
II IN quite true TINT those I'm robus
health contract colds or so-called I'm
nueaYa, II r also true that these VIII
are unmindful OF their health and ar
not careful to avoid the exciting cause
snrcr more severely from tho diseas
and are moro liable 20 Its complica
uons than others. I believe that tn
severity o' the influenza epidemic O
1918 wss due largely 20 the ereatl
IMPAIRED physical condition OF the pub
&c following the war, with it's deprcs.
ms influence. long continued ncrvou
tension and poor and insufficient food
those factors rendered the people O
this and other countries fnr more sus
crptlhle 10 the disease and less resist
art To tho nctioi OF tho specific organ
isms
Unfortunately tho public has NO
been fully advised as 20 the irnpor,anc
"t good health as a very valuabl
means of protection. Health official
have cndcevorcd rather TO prevent IN
extension of this disease by the en-
fofccinent of measures which rciat
almost solely 10 the fransrni..,o, r