Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1918-12-28 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ROBERT WAT,SON,  ODDS AND ENDS.  -The severity of the present pandemic. the staideuness of onset tin some cases, and number of deaths from pulmonary complication . . . which it is producing, have again led to the suggestion that the disease cannot be influenza, but some other and inure lethal infection. This is only because ise have forgotten how severe a disease influenza may be. In a number of recsnded instances a violent attaelt of pain has been the first intimation, so "severe sometimes to cause the 'person to fall down under the impression that he has been struck. In others wild transient delirium has ushered in symptoms; children delirium was almost the rule. The infection is disseminated by personal eontaot under conditions in which good ventilation is diffieult or impossible." It appears now to be established beyond a doubt, that the breath of victims, discharge from their nostrils, 6xpvc:toration from their tnbes, and tiny (lroplets of sitliva sent sailing in the atmosphere as patients tough or speak are the means hy which the microbes pass from individual to individual. Experiments have shown that in carrying on conversation in a loud voice •-drop-infection-Apa7t project germs upon a sensitive plate held at sat, forty feet away fi.om the speaker, and the set of coughing sends the mischief still further. Thus the reality of the danger which a person in the grip of influenza introdlleeli into his home (-iml.. or offiee, or the 'bus or tram in which he travels between one and the other, ought to he quite apparent. And that risk is multiplied when the individual lacks manners, and ooughs with to attempt to cover his mouth with his hand or is gillty of the further offence of drying his damp handkerchief at the office stove. In the light of details like these. the hygienic need for a nice sense of propriety and eleantiness becomes apparent. The thread of touching a soiled cup, or fork, or spoon. and the desire to wash the hands before out sits down to a Meal are based on very practival grounds. and it is to be hoped that both in public and in private the cleansing of all eating utensils is done with the thoroughness which it deserves.  _ As I stated in a recent article, proof would seem complete that. under favourable circumstances the thing may be caught and developed and the typical symptoms produced beyond all doubt, in a matter of three (and possjJiy even fewer) hours. Two medical men have recently put on record their own experience in this matter of the reeep7 tion of germs and the hatching out, of the complete disease. They fraveiled by train froin .London to York in four hours. and, in their °Yin 1 words, - as we were leaving the carriage a young flying °theer who ha a come the whole of the way with us. and was coughing and sneezing at intervals, informed us that he st as ill, :aid had had ' influenza for several days." Thu both developed influenza with identical symptom t.. within half an hour of Oaen other On the second day after the journey. They estiniate the lncuiiation period to have been nearer forty-oni4 than forty-five hours. The daily papers have recorded many suicides. directly or indirectly attributed to influenza since the pandemic began. The melaneholy which attacks many patients during their illness, or as they emerge from it, is tine to theaflintitv which the poisons gene_rated by Mil teen