THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC. IN ITALY.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15047, 15 April 1919, Page 2

THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC. IN ITALY.

PHENOL AS A CURE.

The Roy. Dr. Alexander Robertson, of Venice/ contributes'the following signed ■article to -"The Scotsman" of January '21 i— . * ' ■ The influenza epidemic, so prevalent in other lands, has 'by no means spared sunny Italy. It has shown itself througnout her t length and breadth, from the Mediterranean" to the Adriatic, and from' the Alps to Sidily. Indeed, the sunniest paits 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, exceed 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 been attacked by this epidemic, and over half a million have died.* Its victims have been mainly amongst young people bf 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 ,?nen throughout Italy, like their colleagues in-other lands, are doing their best to combat the disease, altEough, iike those colleagues, with, 1 fear, but a limited measure of success. Some mystery about it seems to baffle their labour and skill. Many remedies have been proposed, and I see boxes of pills and dottles of mixtures labelled "Cure for Influenza" being largely advertised, generally at what we may call war prices. | However, at a congress held the* other jday at Genoa, at which were present, what the newspaper called il fiore delia scienza-medica Genovese (the' flower of Genoese medical science), one wellknown doctor announced his discovery lof a cure, simple and inexpensive in its 1 nature, and ,in his large experience, mii fallible 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 socalled influenza is fenola > (phenol), which, I suppose, is popularly known as phonic acid or carbolic acid, an antisep- ; tie and anaesthetic largely used 'by British practitioners, and many preparajtions of. which are to be found in the British Pharmacopoeia. After quoting Professor G. B. Dumas as haying said in the French Academy in 1873: "If '.we only knew the virtue of phenol, we j might face with impunity and dominate the most serious epidemic," and also quoting Pasteur, Declat, Boame, -Cantata, and the great Italian, Bacelii, 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 j or pneumonia bo bronehopolnioniti, gas|;tric intestinal and . acute nervous I forms accompanied sometimes by a very ihigh and sometimes by a very low temperature, with great depression. In ail I these varied forms phenol, administered , by the mouthy by injection, and by clyster, never failed to give victorious results. The dose was regulated according to the gravity pf the case, and in die 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, hvith a speedy recovery. Ido not know if Dr Barone's prescriptions may prove I 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 i water ,200 grm, ' menthol 0.10 grm. 'Dose; A tabTespobnful every hour. Foi a clyster.: A solution, of phenol of 5 pei tcent.—3oo grms, iri rab'but v half a litre oi ; tepid water which had been boiled. Tc (•"be used every six or eight hours. In ; severe-cases, along with the clystei ! there may be used, camphorated oil oi 10 per cent. —20grms, sterilised first anci jtheu added to it of pure crystallised phenol 2grms. For, subcutaneous in- . jection use a syringe which.contains 5 centimetres cubic of above twice a day. during the period of fever. Sometimes to know ■whatnot to give ; a patient is hardly less important thar to know what to give. 1 mention this -because I have just read in "TEe Scots Iman' 'a short account of what was done to fight the influenza at Kroonstadt, in the Orange Free State, where it seems jto have been very bad. It says: —"Id j the town soup and milk were sent out j by motor cars, and medicine distributed. I In the outlying districts stocks of simple I remedies (were) carried for distribution | among the sufferers, including ctisinfect- ! ant salts, quinine, iodine, aspirin, 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 nappens that in Italy most of these things are expressly forbidden patients. At the Genoa Conference Dr Barone said:— "There nm?t on no account be given beef tea, milk, and eggs. These things are most pernicious. Also all poulticing and treatment of tEat nature must be avoided. ..The. right things, to give are vegetable soups with, no fats, coffee, [light tea with brandy or marsala, raw j and. cooked fruit, much water, and plenty fresh air."- General Diaz, I have :]ust 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."