The New York herald., 1922-02-19
Influenza and Its Prevention
Former Health Officer Doty Tells What Is Known of
the Disease and the Way to Guard Against 1t.
DR.. Arpah II. Doty In the Medical Record

The commcnest disease of mankind,
tory passages most frequently called
influenza or grippe. has had innumera-
BILE names proposed for 1t. Influenza.
grippe and cold were undoubtedly coined
by tho laity. for they have not the slight
est scientific significance. The word in
f.uenza is Of italian origin and was
suggested during the seventeenth CEN
tury, for 1t was believed that this dis
ease was the result of some influence
exerted by the stars, hence Influenza
Grippe was proposed by the French
is of later origin and is the most rea-
sonable of all terms employed, for It
gives a clew to some OF the exciting
causes Of the disease--climatic changes.
exposure. &c. The terms all refer to
the same type of injection which prevails
chiefly during the cold weather.
There is abundant evidence that for
the last 800 years at least the medical
profession has discussed the etiology of
this disease. and unfortunately exact
knowledge Is still wanting. The pre-
sumption established by Pfeiffer in 1898
that he had discovered the specific or
ganism of influenza has not been con-
firmed. 1t is the common practice in
the profession and laity to refer to a
mild infection of this type as a cold
and to a more abrupt and serious one
as influenza or grippe. This is neither
logical nor reasonable, for generally
satisfactory differential diagnosis can
not be made.
Furthermore, an attempt to do this
is not without danger. for both the fam
lily physician and patient are apt to
overlook the fact that what Is appar-
emily a so-called simple cold may
abruptly change its character and as
sumo a serious form. To discard these
meaningless terms and substitute one
which has some scientific value would
be distinctly advantageous to the medi-
cal profession as well as the public.
Under the present practice the inconsis-
tency of a municipal health ordinance
which calls for the reporting Of infiu-
enza is obvious. The physician does
not know what class of case clearly
comes within this meaning and neither
do health officials.
So-called influenza. grippe or cold is
due to the presence of certain infec-
tious organisms found upon the mucous
membrane of the air passages. particu-
larly the nose and throat; therefore
every reasonable means should be en-
ployed to prevent tho transmission of
the infectious agents from one person
to another. We should also maintain
good health by carefully observing the
laws of personal hygiene and avoid the
well known exciting causes, such as
undue exposure to cold, abrupt climatic
changes, improper dress. wet or damp
feet or clothing and drafts; the latter
are so generally accepted as a common
excitant Of colds that it would seem
vehicles, particularly subway cars, which
allow the entrance at one point Of a
current of air under great pressure. the
effect of which upon those in the vicinity
may we'll be understood.
1t is quite true that those in robust
health contract colds or so-called infiu-
eEza !. 1t is also true that those who
are unmindfula of their health and are
not careful to. avoid the exciting causes
suffer more severely from the disease
and are more liable to its complications
than others. I believe that the sever
ity OF the influenza epidemic of 1918
was due largely to the greatly impaired
physical condition of the public follow
ing the war, with It's depressing infiu-
cnce, long continued nervous tension and
poor and insufficient food these factors