Читать книгу Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations - University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine - Страница 8

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During the time the epidemic was at its height in Pittsburgh the Western Pennsylvania Institution for the Blind was in session. This school is located in the heart of the educational center and was surrounded by the barracks of the Student Army Training Corps of the University of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Institute of Technology. When the influenza was recognized as epidemic in this neighborhood, the attending physician at this institution advised a quarantine against the public. The children were refused visitors in the buildings, and the usual week-end trips home were forbidden. This school was continuously in session from September 24 until November 30. During this time there was not a single case of influenza in the school and the children were free from any infectious disease. On December 1 the pupils returned to school after the Thanksgiving holiday, and one week later, on December 8, the first case of influenza appeared. In a period of five days following 15 cases developed. It was considered wise to close the school, and all well children were sent to their homes. The institution was kept closed until January 1, since which time no cases have developed. Very few of these children had influenza at home, and only one death occurred.

A reliable report, subsequently confirmed by the health officer, stated that in Masontown, Pa., the start and course of the epidemic were very striking. A dance was held in the town and the musicians were brought from nearby cities. One of the musicians employed was not very well upon his arrival, and became so ill that after the dance he was put to bed in the hotel. He was found to be suffering from influenza when examined the following day, and from him as the primary case the town was swept by the epidemic.

In Mercer, Pa., the physician to the Board of Health reported that during September they had a general epidemic of coryza and sneezing, with slight fever, which lasted for three or four days. This was looked upon by the people as hay fever. In the midst of this, or about September 16, a man, 74 years of age, who had been away from home, developed true influenza, followed by pneumonia, from which he recovered about October 10. Another man, employed in Greenville, a nearby town, where influenza was already prevalent, returned to his family here suffering from the disease. The whole family and all who were exposed to this family were infected. From this family as a focus the disease spread rapidly in every direction. There were about 350 cases in the town of 2,000 inhabitants, and there were 9 deaths. Sporadic cases have occurred since, ranging in number from one to a dozen at a time. These numbers do not include scores of cases called colds by the people, but it seems that all these cases had an influenza element.

In the town of New Castle it was not possible to trace the onset of the influenza epidemic to a definite case. As the health officer stated, several cases were reported at once.

The first case of influenza in Indiana, Pa., of which there was any definite knowledge occurred on September 15. A clothing merchant who had just arrived from New York, where he had been buying stock for his store, was the first case identified. The next case occurred several weeks later, the disease being contracted at the mining town of Coal Run, in Indiana County.

A man resident in Sharpsburg who had suffered from influenza visited friends in Fraser Township, Allegheny County, to convalesce. Previous to his coming that section had been free from the disease. He was still coughing at the time, and, moreover, he is said to have been a great talker and visited largely among the neighbors of his host. Threshings in that part of the township were going on and these he also attended. The date of his coming was October 13. By October 15 his hostess was taken ill. By October 16 some of the threshers were affected, and by October 17 enough were sick to break up the work of threshing. Eventually all the men engaged became ill, and 11 families were infected from this source.