It is an unalterable law of life, that every living species grows old and ultimately perishes; even one day’s existence to a microbe may combine birth, infancy, maturity and old age.
It is impossible to believe or to think, that our Creator is always creating new or fresh supplies of Flu microbes or any kind of the disease producing ones; whether microbes survived the Deluge, or were post Pluvial creations is a moot point? if Noah took microbes into the Ark and preserved them by Divine order, for future liberation amongst mankind, he certainly did his work efficiently in so far as the species of the Influenza bacillus is concerned; it has lost none of its virulency or vigorousness in the year 1920, after living 6,000 years.
PREVENTIVES OF INFLUENZA?
Are there any Influenza preventives? Serums, of late years have been the chief agents used for preventing and treating the Flu.
As a preventive remedy, the immunity (?) or protection afforded is very brief, and it ceases to be of value in a few weeks.
In Hawaii, the Author has not been greatly impressed with the value of Serums in the treatment of Influenza; the alleged great benefits and cures set forth in Medical papers, and publications of laboratory statistics by manufacturers of the Serums are not obtained here.
Serums after injection are supposed to aggravate all the symptoms of Flu, followed later by a great improvement in the patient’s condition, but this prophecy is not always borne out; hence the increase of the headache, fever and pains in the limbs and aching bones, alarms and frightens the patient of the Asiatic, Hawaiian races and many of the Caucasians.
Amongst cases of Influenza, lying side by side, those treated by simple remedies recovered just as speedily and safely as those who had undergone the Serum treatment, and were attended with much less discomfort.
QUININE. The bi-sulphate of Quinine is one of the best haemal or blood microbicides that we have, and its daily use in times of epidemics of Influenza may prevent the user of it from being attacked. It is more a Preventive in some of the epidemics than in others, the ratio of prevention is 40–60, sometimes more, sometimes less; the remedy is easily taken, and in small doses has no drawbacks; it is best so administered; it is cheap and in the coated tablet form palatable, convenient; any person can take it and pursue his usual avocation.
After forty years of practice as a physician, the Author feels convinced of the value of Quinine; he learned its value in western Europe, even if the headache of Flu is very severe small trial doses may be given, as the Author knows from personal experience it is helpful; in a later stage of the disease, with excessive sweats, cold clammy skin and aching bones, all due to cadaveric bacilli circulating in the blood, give Quinine, and your patient or patients will soon respond to its beneficial effects, their condition will improve, and they will thank you and ask for the medicine.