Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations — John Shaqi
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
clinical microscopy. The following workers partook in the investigations
which were here carried out: Dr. Oskar Klotz, director of laboratories;
physiology, Dr. C. C. Guthrie (chief), Dr. A. Rhode, Dr. M. Menten, Mrs.
C. C. Macklin, Miss S. Waddell and Miss M. Lee; bacteriology, Dr. W. L.
Holman (chief), Miss A. Thorton, Miss C. Prudent and Miss R. Jackson;
pathology, Dr. Oskar Klotz (chief), Mr. A. D. Frost, Mr. J. L. Scott and
Miss A. Totten; clinical microscopy, Miss R. Thompson, Mr. M. Marshall
and Mr. H. Mock; records, Miss H. Turpin. Intensive work was undertaken
by each over a period of about five weeks, when the epidemic was again
on the road to disappearance and few new cases were being admitted.
These laboratories discontinued their work at the Military Hospital on
November 9.
The clinical observations which are contained in this report were made
at the Mercy Hospital. This institution set aside upward of 100 beds for
the care of the overflow which could not be accommodated at the Military
Hospital. It is unfortunate that the clinical observations and the
laboratory findings contained in this report were not made upon the same
cases. With the number of cases suddenly thrust upon the medical staff
of the army, it was not possible for them to devote detailed attention
to clinical investigation. Furthermore, during the progress of the
epidemic these medical officers were transferred to new posts, so that
it was impossible to obtain a summary of the clinical findings at the
Military Hospital by any of the officers who had but recently been
detailed to the work. We were fortunate, however, that the clinical
investigations were carried out on a similar group of cases to those
studied by the laboratory, and it might be said that their clinical
findings on the patients housed at the Mercy Hospital are parallel with
those observed in other institutions. Necessarily the researches carried
out during such an epidemic were intensive, and all the workers in the
various branches feel that if they had to live through another such
plague they would be much better prepared to approach their problem.
During the heat of such investigations valuable time is often lost in
perfecting methods of technique, and one sorrowfully finds oneself
without available material when the technical work has been accomplished
but the epidemic has passed by. In the studies in bacteriology we were
fortunate in having some of the technical difficulties for the isolation
of the B. influenzæ previously solved. It may be that this in part
explains the broad success which Dr. Holman has had in isolating the B.
influenzæ from so many cases. In other fields the road was less broken,
and it was not until late in the course of the epidemic that results
were obtained in the investigation which seemed to point to valuable
leads.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account