A DREAD DISEASE

Southland Times, Issue 19502, 17 March 1925, Page 7

A DREAD DISEASE

EPIDEMIC IN CHICAGO. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright). (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) NEW YORK, March 12. A highly contagious disease, as yet unidentified, has caused 201 deaths in nine days at Chicago. Health Commissioner Dundeson and a corps of chemists and physicians are working intensively to determine the exact nature of the disease, which, unless taken in time, develops into influenza or pneumonia, carrying a high mortality rate. No fewer than 27 persons have died of influenza or pneumonia, during the past 24 hours, mostly traceable to the mysterious infection. Whole families have been stricken and the disease is also prevalent in l other centres of population. It is characterised by aching pains, a burning sensation in the eyes, prostration, high temperature, and nose bleeding. Mr Dundeson has issued a general warning urging sufferers to go to bed, summon medical aid and virtually isolate themselves. EPIDEMIC INCREASING. MANY NEW CASES. CHICAGO, March 14. Health Commissioner Bundesen announces that the strange malady is still increasing, and 112 new cases have been reported, with 33 deaths, during the past 24 hours, making a total og 312 deaths from respiratory diseases since February 1. Mr Brundesen has requested business men, the police, the fire depots, and all physicians to aid him in fighting the outbreak. He says if people with symptoms would go to bed and keep away from contacts the epidemic could soon be checked, but the sufferers continue to get around, expectorating and spreading germs, with the result that scores of people are infected daily.

Mr Bundesen declared that he is *3till unable to diagnose the malady, and offers free anti-pneumonia serum from the city laboratories to physicians while the disease is prevalent. He asserts that the malady is of a similar nature to that which swept Chicago in 1892, and is not related to influenza of the 1918 type. So far as he and his associates have been able to determine, it is a respiratorial trouble which is not fatal in itself, but paves the way for influenza and pneumonia.