Evening star., 1940-03-30
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field. Laboratory
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henri.

NSo St0oy
By Thomas r. Henry
The influenza epidemic of the past
winter Is nearly burned out"
The United States Public Health sery-
ice has just announced death rate of
1872 per thousand inhabitants of the
United States during February-an in
crease from the normal rate of IL per
Thousand for this month. At all times
1t is the most unhealthy of months with
the resistance of the population at a low
eoo at the end Of the long winter indoors.
For the past Ave weeks the number
OF cases reported to the Public Health
service has been dropping at rate of
ABOUT 3,0O0 Week-starting on February
II with an incidence of 16,548. The next
week l3,so4 cases were reported and the
next week II, ,533 The last week report-
ed' that OF March 16, brought only 6,740
new cases. These reports are only from
sample OF the population representing
all sections of the country. For the
country as whole the actual number
OF cases would be much greater
Inc f1u outbreak, Public Health Service
ofncials believe, reached its climax dur
ing February. There was a sharp in
crease from approximately $4,000 cases
during the four weeks ended January 27
TO 64676 during the four weeks ended
February a. The peak was passed some
where about the middle of February
Until that month the great concentra-
ton had been in the South Atlantic
states. During the first week of Feb
ruary there was sharp drop of about
5000 cases in this area and the concen-
tration shifted to the South Central
States, such as Texas and Oklahoma,
where the rate doubled. In the Rocky
Mountain area the incidence dropned
from about 5000 cases during December
to approximately 1900 during February
and the Central Northwest reported an
almost equivalent decline, according to
the reports received in Washington.
Up to March l. the Public Health
Service fgures show a total of 64.676
cases had been reported. This was
nearly three times that recorded for the
corresponding period of 1889 and two and
nall times the average for the period
from 1888 to 1889. With the exception of
1887, when more than 100 900 cases were
reported for this period, the rate is the
highest for the past II years. In 1899
the peak of the influenza rise was not
reached until March while in most wears
1t has a tendency to pass climax in
January or February.
While the "fiu" cannot be blamed for
the entire rise in the February death
rate, Public Health Service officials saw.
1t must be considered the ma Tor cause
Actually, of course. very few persons die
OF the disease per sc. 1t renders the VIC
tim especially susceptible to pneumonia.
The death rate probably would have been
much greater under the same circum-
stances few years ago before the pres
ent serum and chemical means of COM
batting this dreaded lung maady were
available to physicians.
The highest weekly death rate. 1876
per thousand, came during the week end
ed February and the largest number of
influenza cases were reported during the
same week BY the last week of Febru-
airy the weekly death rate had dropped
to 12.6 per thousand and the influenza
incidence had dropped about Is per cent.
1T thus becomes apparent" says the
Public Health Service report, that the
presence OF influenza greatly affects the
death rate at this season. For years of
about normal influenza incidence the
average death rate for the period is about
II per 1000
The outbreak of influenza early in the
year was especially alarming to Public
Health Service officials because of the
war in Europe with its great concentra-
tlons OF men in Army camps. They re-
called the devastating epidemics of
1918 which came under similar cir
cumstances
1t soon became apparent however,
that this particular epidemic could not
get good start. 1t would flare up in
one section of the country and die down
almost completely before reports of
new outburst came from some other sec
ton. Thus the South Atlantic States
were practically back to normal before
the great influx started from Texas
early in February.
Otherwise, the Public Health Service
records show. this has been an excep-
tionally healthy winter. The only other
malady which has shown an increase is
infantile paralysis. There were 1O9 cases
reported. as compared to an average of
about 10 for the preceding three years.
Every part of the country except the
South Atlantic and East South Central
States reported an increase. The num-
ber of cases is the highest since 1892
Normally a measles increase is expect
ed at this time Up to date, however. the
incidence of this disease has been only
about 40 per cent Of the average Men,
ingtis, smallpox. scarlet fever typhoid
fever and diphtheria have all shown
major declines over the average.
Comments on Source of
cfo ErnHor&v