LOOKING FOR THE “ FLU” SECRET.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1924, Page 1

LOOKING FOR THE “ FLU” SECRET.

(By A lTiysician.) Thu spread of inlluoiiza amoiiß the. 1 1 oops of the Aldershot Command, in sjete of the special instinotions issued, does not mean that those arc worthless. On the contrary, the adviio to i wide berth to anyone sneezing, to u'-mid crowds, and to he inoculated with vaccine is sound and should do much In limit the attack. This, in view of our present knowlociae of epidemic influenza, is ill we can hope to do. We cannot. in other w ords, i i event influenza, alloy, ther, ten we cun and .should, take all ] ossiblc ;n ecu ni ion-'. Failing the di-coverv of a |ei'!e.t vac, iiie, we : h il only he a hie to staiilj e.l ihe oTsea.-e when v.e I.IIOW exae'.ly In,'. .i si reads am! ibis is a most di.Ti- . nil. iliin- to .study. .',i lit si. sight the ! rohl-ni seenseni le . nougli. The disease is due to a ecno and if spreads diieitlv from individual to individual. I.cit o them-

■ ' i-s the germs are only UK ca] able ~| e.eiiing epidemies, hut when "o t'-y to transmit the disease ex'erimeni: I’y ve find, to our sur].rise, that it i. In- no means easy to do.

Ilaeteria taken from east’s of ej idemle •' ’tin’' and sprayed into the throais of vohinleer.s did not IHodnee the disoai.e. Kvon the direct transfer ol -'.'ii' s from the ] atieut’s throat to that of the volunteer proved unsueei ssful iii a miinher of cases. IniiocnI:.i ion with the tiiruat secretions or the blood of a patient likewise failed. At.d attempts to spread the direrse in imitation of nature ky getting the patient to cough, sneeze, talk, and hirathe in the volunteer’s face were a'so iiiistieces'sfnl.

Lastly, during the ejiidemics of I DI S and 102:). a number of eases were oaretally traced, and it was found that •To per cent and 71) per cent respectively of ) coplc who had. e.etnally .slep.t in the -me ted with a “'tin'' patient did ir.; contract the disease.

!!.,v. .hen, does the disease spread r The an war to this question v.e are diligently endeavouring to discover. The probability is that ie.iluenza is most infect ions very early in the ;*tiink, before even the acute Kvmptonfc develop. Ii may even he infectious in tile incubation period that is, in the interval of time which elapses between the invasion of our body by bacteria and the development of the symptoms. This means that during an epidemic a -teat many cases arc walking about ulio are capable of transmit ling the disease, alt hough they are going to have an attack. They g" about their work and play, spreading the disease, whereto i they go.

Kui.il the problem is thoroughly elu- , hinted wo must lelv on preventive measures, and, more especially, preventive inoculation, and care ol the general health, which, by raising our l'c'-i.slance to the disease, may enable us to escape it.