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Show FACTS ON INFLUENZA. D S. h. Burton, state medical director di-rector of the Modern Woodmeri of America in New Mexico has written a paper on influenza which is declared to be one of tho best concise treatises on the disease. lie declares there Is very little danger of the pneumonia complication if right methods are followed fol-lowed and he outlines the history, symptoms and treatment of Influenza In the paper, tho text of which follows: fol-lows: History of the Disease The first record of Influenza was -registered 412 B. C, and history reveals several epidemics epi-demics of tho disease during each century cen-tury sinco that time, and I have no doubt influenza will return at intervals inter-vals In epidemic form until the end of time. Symptoms Invasion sudden; marked prostration from the beginning; begin-ning; period of incubation 24 to 4S hours; temperature ranging from 100 In tho mild to 105 in tho severe cases, chills, cough, conjunctives, uose-bleod, insomnia, pain In head, bones and muscles. Cause of Influenza The bacillus causing tho disease has not been isolated, iso-lated, but many bacilli arc associated with it, such as tho. streptlcoci, pneu-mococcl pneu-mococcl and influenza bacilli. Contrib- ntlnfT nance n Inw t oninnratliro. Sum mer heat prevents influenza. Tho disease dis-ease spreads over the country along the line of travel, first attacking the population of the cities, and later the inhabitants of the rural districts. It is ray observation that the bacilli disappear disap-pear before or by the time the patient recovers and is not active after the sickness has 'continued four or five days. This would establish the infectious infec-tious period to the early part of the attack. Also, in order to contract influenza in-fluenza tho victim must bo in close proximity to the infected. Immunity None of the cases I treated during the past epidemic suffered suf-fered a return of tho disease, and I believe be-lieve that persons at the age of 40 and over, who for some reason were immune im-mune in the 1919 epidemic, had previously pre-viously been the victims of influenza. Diagnosis The diagnosis is easy during an epidemic but difficult in intervals in-tervals between epidemics. During the later period many mistakes are made in diagnosis. The complications are bronchitis, sore throat, weakened heart muscles and pneumonia. Tho latter lat-ter complication never develops unless the patient Is exposed. Much has been written in the medical medi-cal journals concerning mild Influenza during September, March and April. The thought is, why is the disease mild at this' time of the year? It is because of the near approach to summer sum-mer heat. If this is a fact, use summer sum-mer heat in the treatment of the disease dis-ease during the fall and winter. Such heat may be secured by tho use of stoves, steam beat, hot air or hot water. Also It is not rational to .treat a patient in the open who has a lowered low-ered resistance due to prostration, exhaustion ex-haustion and body fatigue by influenza, influen-za, and still further lower the resistance resist-ance of the patient to the unknown ' and various flora that accompany the disease and which m.ultiply so rapidly under such conditions but arc almost eliminated by summer heat. Vaccination I had very little experience ex-perience in vaccinating persons who had not been exposed to influenza. I only used it for members of the family who were exposed, and so far aB I was able to detect I do not believe vaccination vacci-nation protected a singlo person from contracting the disease. I vaccinated all members of the family except small children, as soon as a diagnosis was made. I persisted in the use of vaccine vac-cine because the patlonts usually showed an improvement within 24 hours after its use, arid persons who were vaccinated run a milder course than thoso who refused. Treatment The patient must avoid oxpoature to draughts from windows win-dows and doore. Keep the room at a uniform temperature and the sick well covered to prevent tho least tendency to chilling the body. Permit bathing only when very necessary for cleansing cleans-ing purposes. Attendants instructed to use the bed pan for kidney and bowel movements and all changes of the gowns, sheets and bedding to be made with patient under cover and all doors and windows closed. Influenza treated in well-ventilated rooms, at a uniform temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, will not devolop pneumonia. In a room kept at this temperature tho Influenza bacillus Ib clinically destroyed, or influenced by the temperature to the extent that it will not infect the nurse or persons who may be exposed to the gcrni3 of the patient. I have treated my patients, from tho beginning of the attack for pneumonia, by giving every four hours a capsule containing ammonia carbonate, quinine qui-nine and strychnia, alternately with syrup of hydriotlic acid.t To eliminate, I administer calomel at ?ho onset of the disease, followed with salts every two or three days. I use influenza vaccirio in all except children, keeping in mind that I am treating a simple disease, wmcn, m a large number of cases, has the pneumococcus bacillus, that will cause pneumonia if the patient pa-tient is exposed to a cold atmosphere.' The patients are given a liquid diet until un-til the temperature subsides; at that time the diet is gradually increased to normal. I make my patients go to bed and remain there for three days after the fever subsides. All are required to remain one week longer in a rpom at a uniform temperature of 70 degrees Fah., by which time the patient has made a complete recovery. It is necessary nec-essary to furnish the nurse with a weather thermometer to carry out the above treatment successfully. I treated treat-ed 400 cases of influenza on these lines, with no complication of pneumonia, pneumo-nia, no deaths, and having had but two calls at night and no consultations, during the epidemic. I am convinced that pneumonia is prevented by this treatment, and, that, clinically, the In-Uucnza In-Uucnza bacillus is killed or so influenced influ-enced by the heat, that persons coming com-ing in contact with the bacillus will not be infected. This later has been varlfled by the co-operation of the school superintendents and managers of public places where people meet, with the result that 'influenza disappeared disap-peared in our community by the first of February. Tho theory is also substantiated sub-stantiated by the fact that epidemics of influenza of the past have subsided subsid-ed in the United States when the temperature tem-perature of our country reaches summer sum-mer heat. It is safer to attend school and church, If tho buildings are well( ventilated and heated at an even temperature tem-perature of 70 degrees Fah., than to walk the streets of a city. Complications and Sequella The complications are bronchitis, soro throat, weakened heart muscles and pneumonia. Tho latter complication never develops unless the patient is exposed. oo |
