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Show UNCLE SAM'S ADVICEON FLU U. S. Public Health Service Issues Official Health Bulletin on Influenza. LATEST WORD ON SUBJECT. Epidemic Probably Not Spanish In Origin Germ Still Unknown Peo-pie Peo-pie Should Guard Aoalnst "Droplet Infection" SurceonGeneral Dlde Makes Authoritative Statement "Washington. D. C. (Special.) Al though King Alphonso of Spain win one ot the victims of the Influenza cpl-. demlc In lSOU and naln this summer. Spanish authorities repudiate any claim to Intlucurn ai n "Spanish" disease. dis-ease. If the people of this country do not tnl;o care the epidemic will lie-come lie-come so wldcspicad throughout tho United States that soon wo bhall hear the disease called "Amcilean" Intlu-enzn. Intlu-enzn. In response to a request for definite Information concerning Spanish Influenza, Influ-enza, Surgeon General Hupert Blue of tho U. S. Public Health Service has authorized tlio following ofllelal Interview: Inter-view: What Is Spanish Influenza? la It romcthlng new? Doe3 It come from Spain? "The disease now occurring In this country and called 'Spanish Influent rn' resembles a very contagious kind ot 'cold' accompanied by fever, pains Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases As Dangerous as Poison Cm Shells In the head, eyes, cars, back or other parts of the body and a feeling ot so-vrr so-vrr nlcknpR. In most of the cases the symptoms disappear after three or four days, tho patient then rapidly recovering. recover-ing. Some of the patients, however, develop pneumonia, or Inflammation of tho enr, or meningitis, and many of these complicated cases die. Whether this so-called 'Spanish' Influenza Is Identical with the epidemics of Influen-in Influen-in of earlier years Is not yet known. "Epidemics of Influenza havo visited tills country ulnco 1047. It Is Interesting Interest-ing to know that this first epidemic was brought hore from Valencia. Spain. Since that time thero havo been numerous epidemics of the disease. dis-ease. In 1880 and 1800 an epidemic of Influenza, starting somewhere In the Orient, sprond first to Itussln and thence over practically tho entire civilized civ-ilized world. Three years later there was another flare-up of the disease. Both times tho epidemic spread widely wide-ly over tho United States. . "Although tho present epidemic Is called 'Spanish influenza,' thero Is no reason to bellcvo that It originated In Spuln. So mo writers who have studied tho question believe, that tho epidemic enmo from tho Orient and they call attention at-tention to tho fact that the Germans mention the dlscuao as occurring along tho eastern front In tho summer and fall of 1017." How cin "Spanish Influenza" be recognized? rec-ognized? "Thero Is as yet no certain way In which a single case of 'Spanish Influenza' Influ-enza' can bo recognized. On tho other oth-er hand, recognition Is easy where, there Is a group of cases. In contrast to the outbreaks Of ordinary coughs . and colds, which usunlly occur In the cold months, epidemics of Influenza may occur at any season of the year. Thus tho present epidemic raged most intensely In Europe In May, June and July. Moreover, In the case of ordinary ordi-nary colds, tho general symptomi (fever, pain, depression) are by no means a tAero or us sudden In their onset as thoy nro In Inllunn.ii. Finally, Final-ly, ordinary colds do not spieud through the community so rapidly or so extensively nt docs Influenza. "In most cases a person taken sick with ItitlticniMi feela sick rather kui) denly. He feels weak, has pains In the eyes, ears, head or back, and may be sore nil over. Many itlents feel dizzy, some vomit. Most of tho patients pa-tients complain of feeling chilly, and with this comes a fever In which the temperature rlaos to 100 to 104. In most cases tho pulse remains relative ly slow. "In appoaranco ono Is struck by the fact that the patient looks sick. His eyes and the Inner sldo of his eyelids may he slightly bloodsliot,' or 'con-gcbtod,' 'con-gcbtod,' as the doctors say. There may ho running from the nose, or thero may bo some cough. These signs of a cohl may not bo muilicd; nevertheless never-theless the patient looks and feels very sick. "In addition to tho appearance and tho symptoms us already described, xainlnatlon of the patient's blood may old the physician In recognizing 'Span Uh Influciu-.i,' for It has been found llint In this dlsuie tho number of white corpuscles shows little or uo Increase In-crease aboo tho normal. It Is possible possi-ble that tho laboratory Investigations now being mado thr. -mil the National Research Council nnd tho United States Hygienic Laboratory will fur-iiilsh fur-iiilsh n more certain nj In which Individual Indi-vidual caCs ot lliis dlsettso can he recognized." What Is tha ct rso of the dlseas? Do people die of If "Ordinarily, the fever lasts from three to four days md the patient lowers. lo-wers. Hut while ilu piiipot tlon of duitlts in tho privmt epidemic lint penerally been low in some places the outbreak has been severe and dealh-t l-nvc Loin tiumoro. When death occurs oc-curs It Is usually the result of a com plication." What causes the disease and how b It spread? "liacterlologlsts who have studied In lluenzii epidemics in the imst have found In many of the eases n verj small rod-shaped pun called, aftei Its discoverer, I'fellTt i s l iu-IIIiir. In other cases ot appareillh the same kind of; disease thue wer d pncumccoccl. the germs of lot -umonla Still others havo been i w- ! by strepto- I cocclj and byothin germs with long names. "No mailer what particular kind of germ causes the epidemic, It Is now believed that liiiloaizn Is nlwas spread from per u to person, tho germs belilg carrlni with the air along wllh the ery small droplets of mucus, expelled by. coughing or sncczlii).,' forceful miking, ami the UKo by one who already has tli germs of the disease. dis-ease. They may also ho carried about In tho air In the foim of dust coming from dried mucus, fiom coughing and sneezing, or from careless people who spit on the floor and on the sidewalk. As In most other catching diseases a person who has only a mild attack of tho disease himself mny glvo a very soveru attack to others." What should bs done by those who catch the, dlseaoe? "It Is very Important that every pep son who becomes sick with Influenza should go home at once nnd go to bed. This will help keep away dangerous complications and will, at the same time, keep the patient from scattering the disease far and wide. It Is highly deslrahlo that no ono bo allowed Jo sleep In tho sumo room with tho patient. pa-tient. In fact, no one but the nurse should be allowed In tho room. "If there Is cough nnd sputum or running ot tho cjes nnd nose, care should be taken that all such discharges dis-charges are collected on bits of gauze or rag or paper napkins nnd burned. If the patient complains of fever and headache, ho should he given water to , drink, a cold comprcs to tho forehead and a light sponge. Only siu-h medicine medi-cine should be given as Is preburihi-il by the doctor. It Is foolish to ask the druggist to prescribe nnd mny be dangerous dan-gerous to take tho so-called 'safe, sure and harmless' remedies advertised by patent medicine manufacturers. "If the pntlent Is so situated thnt he ran be attended only by some ono who must also look after others In tho family, fam-ily, It Is advisable that such attendant wenr n wrapper, apron or gown over tho ordinary house clothes while In the sick room and slip this off when leaving leav-ing to look after tho others. "Nurses and attendants will do well to guard against breathing In dangerous danger-ous disease germs by wearing n simple fold of gnuzo or uiask while near the patient." Will a person who has had Influenza before catch the disease again? "It is well known that an attack of measles or scarlet fever or smallpox usually protects a person ngalnst another an-other attack of tho sarao disease. This appears not to be true of 'Spanish Influenza.' In-fluenza.' According to newspaper reports re-ports the King of Spain buffered un nttnek of Influenza during .the epl-Jemlc epl-Jemlc thirty years ago, and was ngntn stricken during the recent outbreak In Spain." How can one guard against Influenza? Influ-enza? "In guarding against disease of all kinds, It Is ImiMjrtant that the body lie kept strong and able to tight off disease dis-ease germs This ran he dime hy having hav-ing a proper prquorllnn uf wuik, play nnd rest, by Neeplng the Imdv well clothed, and by eating i-uMc-iwu wl.i U some nnd properly seloeicil fund I connection with diet. It Is twll to ie member that milk Is one uf the "i-; all-around foouVolitiilnnlile for ml as well as children. So tar as a (lis ctso like Influenza Is eotuerited, health authorities everywhere renignlzo lh6 very cos- relation between Us spread and o ei crowded homes, VVlillc It Is not nlvvajs posalhlc, rs;wlnly In times I'M- the present, to .twild such overcrowding, people should consider the health danger mid un leu every effort ll reduce.' the home overcrowd-htg overcrowd-htg In ii minimum. The wilt.o of fresh air through open windows niniint be over cnpli.t" zed. "When ir-ttdlng Is unavn'iluhlc, as In street cm-, uue should be taken to k(Hp the fncu s.i tinned its not to In halo directly the air breathed out by another person. ' "It is especially Important to beware be-ware of tbe pei-Eon who coughs oi sneezes without covering his mouth and nose. It also follows that one should keep out of crowds and stuffy places as much as possible, keep homes, ofllcet and workshops well aired, air-ed, spend some time out of doors each day, walk to work If at all practicable In short, make every po&slblo effort to hreutho ns much pure air as possible. pos-sible. "In nil health mnltcrs follow the ad-vlro ad-vlro of your doctor and obey tho regulations regu-lations of your local uud stato health officers." "Cover up each cough and sneeze, I1 ou don't you'll spread dlteas |