Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 23, 1919, Page 6

<2 0, Costes Sac or di ———_ Che IS “SPANISH FLU” SOMETHING NEW? “The epidemic of influenza now sweeping over the country—a part of the pandemic row covering the world * * * with the craze for weird nomenclature accompanying war conditions, has been labeled ‘Spanish Influenza’. This, however, should not cause any greater importance to be attached to it, nor arouse any greater fear, than would influenza without the new name. This epidemic is, of course, modified as to its epidemiology by the tact that large numbers of the most healthful portion of our population have been segre- gated in military and naval camps.”’ (They were healthful when they entered the service —why didn’t the doctors keep them so? In spite of serums, vaccines and compulsory med- ical treatment the army death rate was nearly three times the civilian rate.) “It is needless and too early to discuss here the exact identity of the infectious agent. Few physicians will attempt to treat the condition with any special reference to its bacteriologic cause.” P. 1063, J. A. M. A. Sept. 28, 18. Editorial section “ALL IS NOT FLU THAT FRIGHTENS.” “There is no known laboratory method by which an attack of influenza can be differen- tiated from an ordinary cold or bronchitis or other inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, pharynx or throat.” P. 2068, J. A. M. A. Dec. 21, ’18. Report of a Special Committee of the American Public Health Association. CAUSE OF FLU: “It is sufficient to state that Bacillus influenzae of Pfeiffer has been established as the etiologic factor in this epidemic.” P. 1310, J. A. M. A. Oct. 19, ’18. Majors Spooner & Sellards, and Capt. Wyman, M. C., U. S. Army. “Bacillus influenzae played no role in the epidemic at Camp Grant.” P. 1726, J. A. M. A. Nov. 23, 718. Capt. Hirsch, M. C., U. Army, and Marion McKinney, Chief Technician, bs ; Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois. “There seems to be no justification for the belief that the epidemic was due to the in- fluenza bacillus.” . : « em i i , ene P. 190, J. A. M. A. Jan. 18, 19. Drs. Lord, Scott & Nye. “The micro-organism or virus primarily responsible for this disease has not yet been . ' identified.” ail P. 2068, J. A. M. A. Dec. 21, 18. Report of a Special be Ta Oh ee , Committee of the American Public Health Association. CAN A PERSON HAVE GERMS AND BE HEALTHY? “Examination of the mouths of healthy men in the camp for pneumococci has shown types unusually present in the mouth * * in 61.2 per cent. of those examined.” * * * “Bacillus influenzae has been found in the mouths of 35.1 per cent. of the healthy men ex- amined at Camp Funston.” P. 116, J. A. M. A. Jan. 11, 19. By five officers, M. C., U. S. Army. “The influenza bacillus is part of the flora of the normal respiratory tract, investiga- tions previous to the recent epidemic having shown it to be present in from 10 to 19 per cent. * * * It is a common invader of the normal respiratory tract and may be found in a con- siderable proportion of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and the contagious diseases of childhood.” P. 190, J. A. M. A. Jan. 18, 19. Drs. Lord, Scott & Nye, Boston. “Control in the Navy.—Quarantine and isolation are impracticable on account of the wide distribution of the organism (B. influenzae) in healthy persons and the number of unrecognizable cases.” P. 1218, J. A. M. A. Quotation from Bulletin 37, of the Navy Division of Sanitation of the Bureaus of Med- icine and Surgery. DO. GAUZE MASKS KEEP OUT GERMS OR PREVENT INFLUENZA? “In view of this universal prevalence of the infection, quarantine was necessarily use- less. During this pandemic, wearing of face masks had no greater prophylactic effect than the liberal consumption of whisky that was indulged in by some for this purpose, or the traditional camphor bags that were found handing about the necks of so many children sick with influenza. That face masks were useless in protecting one against the infection was shown by the fact that nurses, who of all people were especially given to wearing them, were notoriously prone fo become victims of the infection.” P. 1736-7, J. A. M. A. Nov. 23, ’18. Dr. Fantus, Assoc. Professor of Therapeu- tics, Rush Medical College, Chicago. “Masks of coarse or medium gauze of from two to ten layers do not prevent the pro- jection of infected material from the mouth during coughing. Such masks are worthless, therefore, in preventing the disse¢minztion of respiratoyy infections.” P. 1218, J. A.M. A. Oct. 12, ’18. Capt. Doust & Lieut. y Lyon, Medical Corps, U. S. Arm (Yet thousands of people were compelled by health boards to wear gauze masks, cut- ting: off fresh air and thus impairing their natural forces of defense, most of them weeks after the above article was published, describing conclusive experiments. Did the health (7?) officers ‘merely want to show their authority, and prove they were the bosses?) “The evidence before the committee as to beneficial results consequent on the enforced wearing of.m&sks by the entire population at all times was contradictory, and it has not en- couraged the :committee to suggest the general adoption of the practice.” 7 -) P. 2070, J. A. M. A. Dec. 21, ’18. Report of special influenza investigating committee of Am. Public Health Association. HAS IT BEEN PROVEN THAT INFLUENZA IS TRANSMITTED FROM PERSON TO PER- moet SON, THROUGH COUGHS, SNEEZES, ETC? . “Two ,extensive attempts have been made under the auspices of the U.S. Public Health Service anil the U. S. Navy—one at Boston and one at San Francisco—to transmit influenza experimentally. 68 men from the naval detention camp at Deer Island volunteered for the experiment at Boston. * * Inoculations were made of pure cultures of the influenza bacil- lus, of secretions from the upper air passages of persons in the early stage of influenza, and of blood from typical cases of influenza. Susnensions of freshly isolated bacilli were intro- cuced into the men. Both filtered and unfiltered secretions from the air passages of typi- cal cases of influenza in the active stages of the disease were inoculated by means of spray- ing and swabbing of the nose and throat. Volunteers were placed in very close association ior a few minutes with each of ten selected influenza patients, who were instructed to cough directly into their faces. Filtered secretions and the blood from influenza patients were injected subcutaneously into a group of volunteers. In San Francisco * * also suspen- sions of influenzal bacilli were introduced into the nose. * * Filtered emulsion was dropped into the eye and injected subcutaneously. Blood taken during the active stages of influ- enza was injected subcutaneously. Not one of the many volunteers in these two series of ex- Feriments developed influenza. * * That so many attempts to transmit influenza should fail is a great surprise and disappointment * * * it is certain that the cause of influenza re- mains a mystery to be solved only by continued experiment.” P 281, J. A. M. A. Jan. 25, 719. “Current Comment” n of editorial section, referring to Public Health t 34:33, Jan. 10, 1919. DO VACCINES PREVENT OR SERUMS CURE INFLUENZA? “The evidence at hand affords no trustworthy basis for regarding prophylactic vaccin- ation against influenza as of value in preventing the spread of the disease, or of reducing its severity, * * * The evidence at hand convinces the board that the vaccines we have considered have no specific value in the treatment of influenza.” P. 1317, J. A. M. A. Oct. 17, '18. Editorial section— quotation from report of special investigating committee appointed in Massachusetts to consider influenza vaccines “The main point to keep always in sight is that unfortunately we as yet have no specific serum or other specific means for the cure of influenza, and no specific vaccine or vaccines for its prevention. Such is the fact, all claims and propagandist statements in the news- papers and elsewhere to the contrary notwithstanding. * * * How slender the basis for this anti-influenzal vaccination when it is considered that the real nature of influenza is still unknown.” P. 1408, J. A. M. A. Oct. 26, '18. Editorial. “Prophylactic vaccination is as yet of unknown value. We know of at least three in- stances in which three doses of a vaccine had been given and influenza subsequently de- veloped, and of over twenty instances in which one or two doses had been given, followed later by typical attacks of influenza and pneumonia.” P. 1570, J. A. M. A. Nov. 9, '18. Drs. Strouse & Bloch, Chicago. Doctors in a state institution experimented with the mixed vaccine furnished by the Chicago Health department, vaccinating every other patient, and keeping a record of re- sults. Those persons who were not vaccinated are referred to as “controls.” “Incidence of Influenza and Pneumonia in the Vaccinated and Controls fot Vaccinated = Vaccinated Persons in group......... Ss tassgeecscineesatcam 2.390 é Number developing influenza... 119 103 Number developing pneumoni . 23 17 Deaths. . 10 7 DR. J. H. JEFFREY Lyric Theater Bldg. Telephone 706 CHIROPRACTORS Marti sao eioeeesio ode odio tie rate epee TERT EES Inside Facts of e “Flu” Flurry Wa The Journal of the American Medical Association (J. A. M. A.) is the offi- cial organ of the medical profession. Therefore, the fol- lowing quotations, all from that maga- zine, constitute “inside facts” which ordinarily would never reach the lay public. IROOM ___ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, ee, Po tote teteteteMetetetesm So toN Po to tote tote te Meteo ~ rredectodtedtedteaiecoatestoeoaieeteeestoey este ateste-stodie eto sostoatocoateetestoatetoat CRD RR RR RS = : It appears clear from the evidence afforded by these observations that no protection was afforded by, the vaccine.” : P. 1997, J. A. M. A, Dec. 14, ’18. Drs. McCoy, Murray & Teeter. “In relation to the use of vaccines for the prevention of influenza, the evidence that has come to the attention of the committee as to the success or lack of success of the practice is contradictory and irreconcilable. In view of the fact that the causative organism is un- known, there is no scientific basis for the use of any particular vaccine against the primary disease, if used, any vaccines must be employed on the chance that it bears a relation to the unknown organism causing the disease.” - P. 2068, J. A. M. A. Nov. 25, ’18. Report of special investigating committee of American Public Health Association. “Prophylactic Inoculation Against Influenza.— * * * Any. one familiar with the his- tory of the numerous attempts made in the past twenty years to use specific and nonspecific serums and vaccines knows of the countless wrecks of well meant endeavor and patient in- dustry that lie high, dry and forgotten on the rocks of fact.” ‘ P. 44, J. A. M. A. Jan. 4, ’19. Editorial. DID PATIENTS DIE IN SPITE OF OR BECAUSE OF THE DRUGS THE DOCTORS USED? “Everyone appreciated that in those dying, failure to continue life must be attributed to the exhaustion of the cardiovascular system.” (Tl.a. is, the heart system.) “The cyanosis, the pulmonary edema * * * were all evidence t _at il2 toxins were destroying the one vital function, the circulation.” P, 1965, J. A. M. A. Dee. 14, 18. Drs. Keeton: & Cushman, of the resident staff of Cook County Hospital, Chicago. - : “In the cases of secondary pneumonia, many of which result fatally, the chief condi- tions to be combated are the severe toxemia (poisoning) and the vasomotor depression.” P. 1137, J. A. M. A. Oct. 5, 718. “Epidemic Influenza,” article under ‘“‘Therapeu- a tics” vision of editorial section. Everyone knows that aspirin, officially called acetylsalicylic acid, was widely used by doctors. That its use was officially sanctioned, altho it is known by practically everyone as being a strong heart depressant, is shown by the following quotation from the same article (P. 1137, J. A. M. A. Oct. 5, 718.) “The treatment of the disease is largely symptomatic. remedies may be required to relieve the pain.” The dosage suggested in this article was 15 grains at a time. Some of the army reports state 10 grains was the dose, while others say 5 grains. See P. 1381, J. A. M. A. Oct. 26. 18, for report of a case of acute Poisoning by five grains of aspirin. “Opium in Influenza Prescriptions.—The health department of Chicago has completed a survey of drug stores which has shown that during the height of the influenza epidemic physicians made widespread use of medicine containing habit-forming drugs. * * * Between October 1, and November 1, 1918, the survey shows that 741,825 prescriptions had been fill- ed in 946 drug stores in Chicago. Of these 441,641 were for influenza and pneumonia, and of Hie Jatter 104,010 were found to contain narcotics, cither opium, opium derivatives, cocain or chloral. Acetylsalicylic acid or similar Urine P. 204-5, J. A. M. A. Jan. 18, ’19. Chicago item under “Medical News.” Is it surprising to hear of sleeping sickness ? It is estimated 400,000 persons went to sleep permanently as a result of the epidemic—or its treatment. IF PHYSICIANS HAD HAD COMPLETE CONTROL OVER ALL CASES, MAKING THEIR TREATMENT COMPULSORY, AND EVERY PATIENT UNDER A DOCTOR'S CARE, AS IN THE ARMY, COULD LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED? “From the statistics so far available, the death rate in the military camps is higher than among the civil population, even in similar age groups. The mortality in New York and Chicago, for instance, shows that the death rate in the Army is more than double that of the civil population of the same age group. There is also the possibility that when allow- ances are made for the fact that defectives have been eliminated from the Army, and that these poor ‘risks’ swell the civil death list, the corrected margin will be still, further in- creased in favor of the civil population.” “Table 2—Death Rate among similar age groups in civil communities, i Rate Per City Thousand Philadelphia 8.8 Baltimore . V7 Boston . 7.5 New Yo 4.2 Chicago 4.0 Milwaukee 1.1 Army ...... 11.0 “Table 3—Deaths Among All Ages in City Rate Per ** Thousand New York 3.4 ee Philadelphia To” P. 1909-10, J. A. M. A. Dec. 7, 18. Dr. Heiser, New York. _Table 3 contained statistics from seven other cities, ranging from a rate of 1.4 to the Philadelphia rate. New York City was an “open” town, while Philadelphia had an “air tight” quarantine, everything closed and under the ban for weeks. Now look at the com- parative death rate again, and see how much the quarantine did for Philadelphia. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE “SHOTS” GIVEN SOLDIERS IMMEDIATELY ON ENTER- ING CAMP WEAKENED THEIR NATURAL RESISTANCE TO DISEASE? “Influenza tended to select newly drafted men, and was twice as common in men who had been in the camp less than one month as in those of longer residence. The incidence of pneumonia among newly drafted men was even higher.” P. 564, J. A. M. A. Feb. 22, '19. Lieut. Col. Opie, et al M. C., U. S. Army, : Camp Pike, Little Rock, Arkansas. “Of the camp’s population (33,044), 15,493 (46.8 per cent.) were men who had been inducted into service within the previous month. This group of men contributed 2,944 (69 per cent.) of the first 4,269 cases occurring in the camp. That is ,two-thirds of this group cf cases‘occurred from a group of men comprising less than half the camp’s population.” P. 1656, J. A. M. A. Nov. 16, 18. Major Friedlander, et al, M. C., U. S. Army, Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio. It is acknowledged that the “shots” given soldiers upon arrival at camp, to immunize them against smallpox, typhoid and paratyphoid, made many of them sick for a time at least. As these newly drafted men had just passed a physical examination prior to accep- tance in the army, it is reasonable to. believe that in this vaccination we have an explana- tion of why men in camp less than a month were twice as susceptible to influenza and pneu- monia as those who had had a longer time to throw off the effects of the foreign matter thus inoculated into their systems? HAD STATISTICS PREVIOUS TO THE EPIDEMIC JUSTIFIED THE MONOPOLY WHICH MEDICAL MEN HAD IN CARING FOR THE HEALTH OF THE ARMY? “It was seen that the average death rate (9.1) for the whole army is higher than that of New York (5.5) St. Louis (5.5), Pittsburgh (6.2), Chicago (5.2). The death rates in the different camps show wide variation. In three National Guard Camps it was between 23 and 29 per cent.;” (five camps showed a rate under 5 per cent.) “There is no reason for believing that either morbidity or mortality in any camp has been due to faulty sanitation, as we usually understand this term. All the camp; are kept clean, have unquestioned water sup- plies, satisfactory garbage and sewage removal, etc. * * * The acute respiratory diseases have caused an excessive death rate in the Army compared with that due to the same causes in civil life.” P. 1248, J. A. M. A. Oct. 12, 18. Review of an article, “Communicable Di- seases in National Guard and National Army of United States during Six Months from September 29, 1917, to March 29, 1918. V. C. Vaughan and G. T. Palmer, Washington, D. C. IS ORGANIZED MEDICINE PLANNING TO INCREASE ITS STRANGLEHOLD ON THE CIVILIAN PUBLIC? “Though not officially announced, there is reason to think that a scheme for whole-time medical service has already been drawn up whereby there are to be five classes corresponding with army ranks; class 5, lieu- tenant; class 4, captain; class 3, major; class 2, lieutenant-Colonel; and class 1, colonel. The commencing pay for the fifth class, equal to the lieutenant, is $2,000 a year with promotion to the fourth class at $2,500, third class at $3,750, second class at $5,000 and first class, equal to the rank of colonel, $7,500 a year. * * * There will be no expenses to be paid out of the physcian’s salary; everything—drugs, appliances, clinics and travel- ing expenses—will‘he paid by the government. * * * Evening consultations will’ be discontinued and fewer visits paid than is the case at present. Work out of hours, that is to say, after 5 o'clock, will be taken by the juniors, who will take duty in rotation. Localities will be mapped out with exact boundaries, and in those areas all residents, whether rich or poor, will be entitled to medical benefit. All hospitals will be taken over by the government. * * * All local lay control will be done away with * # *.” Referring to some objections which may be made appears the following statement—“Free choice of phy- sician * * * would no longer be possible and fen of fair competition would be abolished.” - P. 1332-3, J. A. M. A. Oct. 19, ’18. “London Letter’—the weekly English Dept. After reading the foregoing notes, the good people of this town are advised that anything outside of medicine is Quackery. Yet there are no two of the authorities quoted of the same opinion as to the cause of this disease “Flu.” ‘ Science is founded on Facts and medical men have not produced one fact, that has been endorsed by all, or any of the profession yet we talk of Medical Sciénce. Come and get a few indisputable Chiropractic Facts regarding the Science. ‘DR. ANNA GRAHAM JEFFREY Graduates of the Palmer School of Chiropractic CASPER, WYOMING