WHAT SCIENCE KNOWS ABOUT THE ’FLU

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 271, 15 December 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

WHAT SCIENCE KNOWS ABOUT THE ’FLU

The common cold has baffled the medical resources of the world for twenty centuries, but only a few more years may see a technique for its cure and prevention. The road now seems cleared for the conquest of the common cold, influenza, pneumonia and other diseases of the tiose, throat and breathing organs. The achievements of medical science which have cleared such a “ possible ” road were related by Dr. A. Raymond Dochez, professor of medicine in Columbia University School of Medicine, at the University’s alumni day of celebration here. The common cold and influenza occupy “ the key positions in the whole pattern ” of infection of the breathing tract. Dr. Douchez has concluded as a result of studies by himself and other medical scientists. These two diseases are caused by agents known as filterable viruses. “ Each of the agents produces its own characteristic disease, but each carries an added menace in that it promotes infection with those dangerous bacteria that are responsible for the , great amount of injury and death influenza, but also a possible lessening in the amount of all serious bacterial infections "of the breathing organs, Dr. Douchez gave as his opinion. Asserting that the goal of his studies on respiratory disease

and a possible road to it have become clear, Dr. Douchez described the following achievements which helped to clear the way: 1. Studies showing that the common cold is caused by a filterable virus. 2. Growth in the test tube of large amounts of the cold virus, which has been kept alive outside the animal body for twenty months. 3. Growth of the virus of influenza in the test tube. 4. Transfer of the influenza virus from man to the ferret, and from the ferret to the white mouse. 5. Discovery that the influenza virus from different parts of the world and at different periods of time is very similar in its activity.