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Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1915, 14 December 1918, Page 4

A theory which has a popular vogue is that the influenza pandemic had its origin in the devilish ingenuit'- of the Germans (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph). Of course, nobody could invent a now disease; but there are medical men who believe ilia! in this case an inlluenza germ has been given added virulence by German scientists, 1 be tiling is theoretically possible. A comparatively harmless germ could be artificially “exalted” by passing it through a series ot very susceptible animals or human beings, with' the result that it would emerge with highly virulent characteristic-;. But experience has proved that when such an experiment is made the artificial exaltation, or Virulence, of (he genu does not remain. It soon goes hack to its former mild slate. And it must lie noted that if the Germans had succeeded in- playing (his game with Ihe germ of the Spanish influenza, I lie Germans themselves would lane suffered severely from the disease.