Evening star., 1934-03-09
MEASLES TERROR
ALL OVER WORLD
Nearly Every Individual Has
Disease Once Known as
Smallpox.
Practically every case of measles


develops a mild pneumonia"
For many centuries the disease was
not differentiated from smallpox.
Nearly every individual in the civil
lied world has the disease, knowingly
Or not, at some time.
1t recurs in periodic waves, with
peaks for each community every two
and-a-half or three years.
1t has been one of the most serious
scourges of mankind, wiping out
whole populations.
These are some of the curious facts
pointed out by Public Health Service
doctors regarding the disease which
during the last few days has reached
the highest peak ever recorded in the
United States, with a record of nearly
81 900 simultaneous cases scattered all
over the country.
1t long has been known that the
greatest danger from measles was the
possibility of developing pneumonia.
But. in a recent study of 900 cases by
doctors at Bellevue Hospital. New York
City, in which X-ray pictures of the
chests were taken. every one showed
a mild inflammation of the lungs,
called capillary bronchitis" which
constitutes mild pneumonia.
Tenth Century Smallpox.
The disease first was recognized. 1t
was pointed out. by all Arab doctor
named Phezes who lived in the tenth
century He described it as mild
form of smallpox. Not until late in
the seventeenth century did the Eng
liSh physician. Sudenham. finally dis
tinguish measles from smallpox and
scarlet fever.
During the American Civil War the
disease broke out in a virulent form
In both armies. For the Confederetes
II constituted one of the mai jor causes
of death and was an important factor
in depicting the man power of the
South. The Union soldiers had low
death rate 1t is believed that more
of them came from cities where, in
common with urban populations in
general. they had developed better
immunity.
In 1875 a British warShip carried
measles to the Fiji Islands. Within
four months 10000 out of a population
of 10000 were dead A few years
later it was accidentally introduced
into Greenland. 1t almost wiped out
the Eskimo population. Ever since
extreme precautions have been taken
against allowing an American or
European to land on the island.
The cyclic nature of the disease now
is thoroughly recognized. according to
Public Health Service doctors. These
cycles do not embrace the country as
whole but vary with localities.
Washington. for example, can prac-
tically be assured of very few cases
of measles for the next two years and
q big outbreak about 1887.
The measles curve still is rising. ac
cOrding to Assistant Surgeon General
r. c. Williams, in charge of the Pub
lie Health Service statistics. The
peak may be any time between March
! and May l. There is no very spe-
cific treatment. The micro-organism
causing the disease is unknown. 1t
develops its own immunity. Practically
every adult is safe from it.
Serum for Children.
Some of the Public Health Service
staff have resorted to the use of a
serum made of their own blood as
preventive measure for their chill
dren-put the wisdom of this must
be decided in each case and is up to
the family physician. The efficacy
is by no means assured.
Before the days of PhaZes nothing
Is known of the history Of measles,
but a good deal can be deduced. At
one time 1t must have almost wiped
out the human race. Only those
survived who were especially resistant
to its ravages. They acquired a still
greater resistance. In some way they
passed on either the natural or the
acquired resistance to their children.
Countless generations ago such high
resistance had been built up in the
white race that disease once
deadlier than smallpox or bubonic
plague came to be looked upon as
mild malady of children.
Nearly every one has measles be-
tween the ages of 2 and 10. The
older the child, generally speaking.
the less DANGER. "A CASE III dll uiidile
under months is practically unheard
Of Every one is given months
immunity by the blood of the mother.
If it were not for this protective
measure a measles epidemic would
probably be about as serious blow
as could fall upon a people.
There is a slight variation in viru-
lence from peak to peak. This time
the disease is not very virulent Prac
tically every part of the country is
affected Usually the disease tends
to be concentrated in certain locali-
ties during a particular peak.