THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC IN ITALY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3396, 16 April 1919, Page 43

THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC IN ITALY.

PHENOL AS A CUBE. The Rev. Dr Alexander Robertson, of Venice, contributes the following signed article to The Scotsman of January 21: — The Influenza epidemic, so prevalent in other lands, has by no means spared sunny Italy. It has shown itself throughout her length and breadth, from the Mediterranean to the Adriatic, and from tho Alps to Sicily. Indeed, the sunniest parts have been its favourite haunts. Nowhere has it been so severe as along the Riviera, and in Calabria and Sicily. Accurate statistics as to its ravages are not obtainable as yet, but medical men are unanimous in declaring that they exoesd those of the war. We know what these were. In round numbers half a million' were killed and a million wounded. In Italy, then, over a million and a-half have baen attacked by this epidemic, and over half a million have died. Its victims have been mainly amongst young people of from 18 to 30 years.of age. Elderly people and young children have not by any means escaped, but not only have cases amongst them been comparatively few, but they have proved less fatal. I need not say that medical men throughout Italy, like their colleagues in othe* lands, are doing their best to combat tha disease, although, like those colleagues, with, I fear, but a limited measure of success. Somo mystery about it seems to baffle their labours and skill. Many remedies have been proposed, and I see boxes of pills and bottles of mixtures labelled "Cure for Influenza" being largely advertised, generally at what we may call war prices. However, at a congress held the other day at Genoa, at which were present, _ what the newspaper called il fiore della scienzamedica Genovese (the flower of Genoese medical science), one well-known doctor announced his discovery of a cure,_ simple and inexpensive in its nature, and, in his large experience, Infallible in its results. This doctor was P. L. Barone, whose home is in Alassio,. but he has also' a practice in Genoa, and as a consulting doctor he has an extensive practice along the- whole Riviera and throughout Northern Italy. The substance he uses for the cure of this so-called influenza is fenola (phenol), which, I suppose, is popularly known as phenic acid or carbolic acid, an antiseptic and. ansesthetio largely used by British practitioners, and many' preparations of which are to be found m the British Pharmacopoeia After quoting Professor G. B. Dumas as having said in the French .Academy in 1873: "If we only knew the virtue of phenol, we might face _ with impunity and dominate the most serious epidemic," and also quoting Pasteur, Declat, Boame, Cantani, and the great Italian, Baoelli, who all spoke in a similar strain,' he gave to the congress his own personal experience. For over a year, he said, he had fought ■ this malady, and over a' thousand cases had come under his care. These were of a most varied nature, from a simple cold or a light bronchitis or' penumonia to bronchopolmoniti, gastrainte ostinale, and acute nervous forms * accompanied sometimes by a very high and sometimes by a very low temperature, with great depression. In all these varied forms phenol, administered by", the mouth, by injection, . and by clyster, never failed to give victorious results. The dose was regulated according to the gravity of the case, and in the most serious of these by clyster, and by subcutaneous injection as much as six grammes in 24- hours, without the slightest inconvenience, on the.contrary, with a speedy recovery. I do not know if Dr Barone's prescriptions may prove at all useful to Scottish physicians, but perhaps they may have an interest as throwing light on a mode of cure now widely and successfully used throughout Italy. Pure phenol, lgrm; distilled water, 200grm; menthol, O.lOgrm. Dose: A tablespoonful every hour. For clyster: A solution of Ehenol of 5 per cent. —300grms, in about alf a litre of tepid water which had been boiled. To bo used every six or eight hours. In severe cases, along with the clyster there may be used, camphorated oil of 10 per cent. —20grms, sterilised first and then added to it of pure crystallised phenol 2grms. For subcutaneous injection, use a syringe which contains 5 centimetres cubic of above twice a day, during the period of fever. Sometimes to know what not to give a patient is hardly less important < than to know what, to give. I mention this because I have just read in The Scotsman a short account of what was done to fight the influenza at Kroonstadt, in the Orange Free State, where it seems to have been very bad. It says: —"In the town soup and milk were sent out by motor cars, and medicino distributed. In the outlying districts stocks of simple remedies (were) carried for distribution among the sufferers, including disinfectant salts, quinine, iodine, asperine, camphor oil, and poulticing material." Notwithstanding this (or shall it be thought, in consequence of it?) doctors were down, nurses were down, and also the town apothecaries, for it so happens that in Italy most of these things are expressly forbidden patients. At the Genoa Conference Dr Barone said:—"There must on no account be given beef tea, milk, and eggs. These things are most pernicious. Also all poulticing's and treatment of that nature must be avoided. The right things to give are vegetable soups with no fats, coffee, light tea with brandy or marsala, raw and cooked fruit, muoh water, and plenty fresh air." General Diaz, I have just been informed, who had a rather severe attack of influenza, is now well, having made a speedy and satisfactory recovery under Dr Barone's treatment.