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INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

EPIDEMIC WAVES.

HOW THEY ARE RESISTED. NEED TO TONE UP THE HEALTH. One of the most interesting questions of the moment is the manner in which epidemics arise, the way in which they spread, and the circumatauces which terminate them. The medical correspondent of The Times remarks that it is a very difficult question, for the data on which to found opinions are scanty, and a number of theories have been advanced from time to time.

We .may, nevertheless, enunciate a few propositions which, if they are speculative, are let in accordance with some at least of the ascertained facts. In the first place, it should be recognised that every man possesses; what may be called his normal resistance to infection. This bears some analogy to the normal reserve of strength which is-' owned by each healthy individual and by which he copes with the troubles of liis every-day life. It represents the margiu of safety, the wherewithal on which it is possible to lead an active life in a world bacteriologically impure. Thus in thia country most of us become infected at one period or another with tubercle, with pneumonia, and other bacteria. We do not develop the diseases themselves, because our resistance saves ua. THE FATEFUL LEVEL.

This' resistance has a definite level, and the level ia variable. The level of resistance is lowered by cold, exposure, hunger, fear, anxiety, illness, and so on. And every lowering of it exposes the patient to more and still more dangers. The ttrong man ia being stripped of his strength; his enemies have their opportunity. Again, there may exist enemies which are strong enough in themselves to be able to defy the normal level of resistance, and so to overpower the natural protection. These very ttrong enemies are not constantly present, because, if they were, either the level of resistance would be raised to such a height that safety was again achieved, or the human race would disappear from the earth. But occasionally, a very ttrong breed of germs appears and sweeps over the world.

THE TIGER OP GERMS. How such a breed is produced is a doubtful matter. It is known, however, that if a particular strain of germs is passed through a series of hosts in a particular way, the virulence of that strain is enormously increased. We may suppose that by a series of accidents some such procecs take place in nature occasionally, the result of which is that a germ is produced endowed with a power of assault and attack in excess of the world's level of resistance. This warlike germ may belong to a family hitherto regarded as comparatively harmless; it is nevertheless endowed with moat deadly qualities. Resembling its harmless prototypes in shape and form, it yet differs from them as widely as does the tiger from the domestic cat. HOW INFECTION SPREADS. The first victim of this newly-endow-cd scourge may perhaps die, but before he dies he infects those who surround him by breathing into their faces. They have no power of resistance to repel such an attack, and they fall an easy prey. The tiger is loose; within an incredibly short space of time it has spread to the ends of the earth, encountering everywhere a resistance less than its own strength, and so gathering strength as: it goes. The epidemic rages, and men fall ill in hundreds of thousands. The majority recover; the minority die. Roughly speaking, the higher his level of resistance at the time of attack the better for the attacked pertjon. Resistance among the survivors increases. The level goes up. Then perhaps the weather improves' sharply, adding to the forces of resistance, and for the moment it seems as if the danger was over, EFFECTS OF BAD WEATHER. Rut the danger is not yet over. It lurks in the bodies of men and women who aro only just, able to save themselves from it. Bad weather comes', cold, exposure, and so on, and this bare margin of safety disappears. The plague breaks out once more as if by magic. Men and women who were only just able to resist sufficiently before are now laid low. And so "wave" after "wave" comes and goes. But all the time the resistance is rising, as it rises always against hostile germs. The plague no longer finds unprotected or half-protected victims, and while it may manifest itself in smaller ailments:, boils and abscesses, ear diseases, bronchitis, and so on, the days of it strength are ended. Humanity is prepared with new weapons.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19190531.2.77

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1919, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
761

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC. Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1919, Page 7

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC. Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1919, Page 7

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