INFLUENZA.
BY JAMES C. WILSON, M.D.
DEFINITION.—A continued fever, occurring in widely-extended epidemics, and due to a specific cause; it is characterized by early catarrh of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, and in many cases also of the digestive tract; by quickly oncoming debility out of proportion to the intensity of the fever and the catarrhal processes; and by nervous symptoms. There is a strong tendency to inflammatory complications, especially of the lungs. Uncomplicated cases are rarely fatal except in feeble and aged persons. An attack does not confer immunity from the disease in future epidemics.
SYNONYMS.—Febris catarrhalis; Defluxio catarrhalis epidemicus; Catarrhus a contagio; Rheuma epidemicum; Cephalalgia contagiosa; Epidemic catarrhal fever; Tac; Horion; Quinte; Coqueluche; Ladendo, also written La Dando; Baraquette; Générale; Coquette; Cocotte; Allure; Follette; Petite poste; Petit courier; Grenade; La Grippe; Ziep; Schaffhusten and Schaffkrankheit; Huhner-Weh; Blitz-Katarrh; Mödefieber; Mal del Castrone. There are also several names indicating its supposed origin; thus it has been called in Russia, Chinese catarrh; in Germany and Italy, the Russian disease; in France, Italian fever, Spanish catarrh, and so forth.
It is a remarkable fact that in two instances at least the popular name for the disease under consideration has found its way widely into medicine and medical literature, almost to the exclusion of the studied terms by which science has sought to designate it; these are influenza and la grippe.
Such obsolete and now meaningless terms as Peripneumonia notha (Sydenham, Boerhaave), Peripneumonia catarrhalis (Huxham), Pleuritis humida (Stoll), have been omitted from this list of synonyms as being of interest rather to the student of medical history than to the student of medicine.
Febris catarrhalis, Defluxio catarrhalis epidemicus, Rheuma epidemicus are terms which no longer retain the place given them in the literature of influenza by the older medical authorities.
Catarrhis a contagio (Cullen) and Cephalalgia contagiosa are derived from a view of the nature of the disease, which has been the cause of no little controversy.