Evening star., 1928-12-15
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

The influenza is seriously threatening
and the United States Public Health
Service is taking extraordinary meas
ures to meet the epidemic. 1t began
in the Far West, but has already
reached the East. 1t is not desired to
cause undue fears, but only to give due
warning that what may seem to be
an ordinary cold may really be the
forerunner of a more serious attack.
How serious it might become is well
expressed by DR.. Clifford Allchin Gill
of India in his book, just published,
''The Genesis of Epidemics." DR.. Gill
says: "It is, perhaps, not necessary, in
view of the events of the year 1918,
during which more lives were destroyed
by an epidemic of influenza in a few
months than were lost in four years of
disastrous war, to make good the propo-
sition that existing knowledge of the
cause and mode of spread of disease
offers scant security against certain
| epidemic viSitationS."
| In the United States alone there we're
| eight times as many deaths from in
| f1uenza in 1918 as there were in the
/ A. E. F. at the battle front more than
| 500, ,000), and there were as many men
withdrawn from civil life in the United
| States as there were in our entire
| Army, inclusive of the American ex-
peditionary forces, ,000, ,000-plus the
forces organized and remaining in the
| United States. In April, 1918, the men
forced to cease work numbered 1888,
and each month the number increased,
until by November it totaled 4,178, 172.
Total armed forces, 4.034,743. Little did
the soldiers overseas know of that dead
| ly epidemic at home, so hidden from
their correspondence from exposed loved
ones.
| Now the danger again threatens.
| Congress has appropriated $25, 100000
to enable the Public Health Service to
supply extra help in the hospitals and
take other means to meet the emergency.
But there has been little progress in
medical science in knowledge of the
disease and how to treat it.
According to the United States Public
Health Service, the treatment requires
rest in bed prolonged after defervescence
| in proportion to the severity of the case
because of heart strain. Attention
should be given to washing out the
mouth frequently, and to adequate
ventilation, avoidance of exposure to
cold, and isolation from those who may
be carriers of virulent pneumococci and
streptococci. AS no laynan has the
slightest idea who are carriers of those
invisible but dangerous germs of pneu-
4 monia, to which the "ffu" patient Is
especially susceptible, the only safe pre-
caution is to bar all friends from the
sickroom until the doctor gives permis-
] sion. Only doctors, armed with COM
| plicated and powerful microscopes, may
spot the germs. Safety first!" must
be the rule.
Quinine or aspirin may be given to
relieve headaches and general pains.
1t is the complications that kill, rather
than the original diseases. No one
should sleep in the same room with
the patient. kissing is extremely dam
gerous, and should be avoided as one
would avoid kissing smallpox patient.
X X X X
The chief features of the doctors
directions consist in advice to MAIN
tain general vitality, breathe plenty
of fresh air day and night and get
as much sunshine as possible, and when
attacked with a cold" go to bed and
send for physician. Symptoms differ
in different patients. The chances are
that it is not cold but an attack of
the "flu."
Influenza is as contagious as
smallpox, and the patient should
never enter crowded street cars nor
appear in business while afflicted
with it. At home, the nurse who at
tends an influenza case should wear
a wrapper over her other clothing and
take it off when she comes out OF the
sickroom. Great precautions should be
taken against spreading the germs in
sneezing, coughing or talking. Hands
must always be washed before dining,
and at frequent intervals.
AS rule influenza itself Is not very
iatal R9t It 0ttsp leads 70 pneumonia