Show D Daily Uy Health Service ServiceD Service D Devils vit G Grip ip pt Is 18 Painful d and Puzzling Malady By DR MORRIS FISHBEIN The devils grip is an unusual infectious infectious in- in condition known to medicine for more than 50 years in which the patient is seized suddenly with an exI excruciating ex ex- I pain In the side the back i lor or anywhere any in th the area of the chest wall S Records do not show any fatal cases of the disease duease to which this name is given The exact a se of this tills condition condi tion Is unknown as is the method of its spread d. d The doctors call the seizure set sei zure epidemic When the pain is affecting the victim victim vic vie tim he finds it difficult to breathe and there may be a slight fever lever The pain lasts lasts' from from 4 to 24 hours i and may appear occasionally during the next one or two days hus the I condition docs does not appear to be bea a serious serious serious se se- se- se rious one although while it lasts It Itis itis is 13 disturbing S C The Tho first epidemic in this country was described in Virginia in 1888 but the condition had previously pre pee in Scandinavian countries The epidemics thus far r ported reported In Inthe Inthe inthe the United have Sta States es have been again in Virginia In 1923 in New York during the same kaine year and in Pennsylvania and New Jersey In 1924 So far as is 15 known the epidemics have been confined to these areas Probably the disease passes paS from one person to another although there Is some evidence that thai the condition may I be passed one from ne person to another by an nn insect Accompanying the pains that have been described there may be signs of a mild infection headache chills loss of appetite and similar symptoms toms but the pain of this condition and its localization are so outstanding that it attracts more attention than all the other symptoms Of course it is Js important to realize that this thU condition occurs in epidemic form torm and that single e cases are not usually seen S In studying methods of control of this disease it has been found that large doses of quinine take care of it satisfactorily perhaps because the causative organism whatever it may be yields to quinine as docs does the causa usa usa- tive organism of malaria malania I As physicians have inv investigated new diseases throughout the world it itIs itIs Is being found that disease discue assumes exceedingly varied and unusual forms Once such epidemics might have been peen confined to certain areas of Europe pr or to the the tropics but today new methods of make transportation it possible pos sible ible for lor any form of d disease ie e to be seen anywhere The work of the modern Is as severe a strain on the investigative in powers as the tracing of a perfect a Sherlock Holmes |