Photo: CDC Gallery-Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-Red Cross Volunteers Assembling Gauze Influenza Masks-Boston, MA
March 22, 2020 – The United States is in turmoil. A pandemic reaching across the nation is something Americans have not seen since the early 20th century with the Spanish Flu. In 1918, that generation of Americans saw the onslaught of the Spanish Flu pandemic (Jan 1918 to Dec. 1920), which affected and killed far more people than anything modern generations have seen. By all accounts, the Spanish Flu resulted in 50,000,000 deaths–that is thirty million more than the 20,000,000 killed during WWI which was wrapping up in November 1918–the year the pandemic began. By comparison, only WWII killed more people globally, 60,000,000 deaths than the Spanish Flu of 1918.
Back in 1918, the statistics in the US told another tragic story. From 1918-1919 in the US, there were 675,000 deaths. So one might ask, how does the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 fare in relation to the Spanish Flu of 1918?
In our current battle over microbes, we have digital technology and biotech advancement at our disposal. At the time of WWI and the Spanish Flu, bacterial complications from the virus causing pneumonia could not be treated as antibiotics had not yet been discovered. It was until 1928, when Alexander Fleming, Professor of Bacteriology at St. Mary’s Hospital in London discovered penicillin. But today, as in 1918–we have homeopathy. Although homeopathy is not solely relied upon today as it was in 1918, homeopathy was in fact an integral method that successfully combated the Spanish Flu with startling, life-saving results.
In fact, a 2018 article in the journal NDNR (Naturopathic Doctor News & Review) on ” A Century After the Spanish Flu” states:
“Homeopathic doctors practicing in 1918 offered patients a hope to survive the ravaging grasp of the 1918 flu. Homeopaths saved hundreds of lives by following and trusting their homeopathic teachings. Dr Green writes, “The homeopathic physicians throughout the country were not following some empty fad or fancy that so frequently leads even homeopathists astray, but by the nature of things, were constrained to fall back upon the faith of their fathers, similia similibus currentur, and it served them well.” (Green, 1920, p.1102)”
Additionally,
“Dr William Pearson reports on a survey of Homeopaths who treated influenza, conducted by the Bureau of Homeopathy of the American Institute of Homeopathy in June 1919. Two-thousand Homeopaths were sent the questionnaire and all of the reports received were tabulated. The results indicated that 26,795 patients were treated by the 88 Homeopaths who replied to the survey, and the number of deaths totaled 273 – a 1.06% average mortality. (Pearson, 1919, p.11) The homeopathic success compared with the average mortality rate of 30% demonstrated that those fortunate enough to be treated by a Homeopath had a higher chance of survival.”
Today, unlike the pandemic of 1918, we have the advantage of advanced technology in biotech and gene sequencing, traditional pharmaceuticals known to many as allopathic medicine–with its antibiotic and antiviral formulations, along with the complementary homeopathic medicines that worked so well in 1918. If traditional medical practices recognize the use of homeopathy, then all can be used to combat and prevent catastrophic losses of life. Although medicine itself is not a panacea, we live in a time where fortunately there are far more resources to prevent such calamity as in 1918.
But one might ask, Why are we here? That is, In a modern society facing similar ravages as we did a little more than a century ago? As Americans, it is unfortunate for us to learn that it didn’t have to be this way. That forewarnings had gone unheeded. That is, the US intelligence community had warned our president in briefings back in January of 2020, about the pandemics across the globe. But they went unheeded. If they had, no doubt America would be more prepared. As the Chinese, Japanese and South Koreans were battling the ravages of this novel virus, our nation turned a blind eye. If only our president and the administration had taken these briefings seriously. If they had only seen the invasion of microbes as seriously as those they saw as trying to enter our nation illegally–we would have been in better stead–better prepared. Perhaps we would not now be in the position of mass curfews, medical equipment shortages, and a tumbling economy. Had our nation’s leaders embraced these national security reports early on–instead of calling it a hoax–we would now be in a better position to fight in the front lines, against our invisible enemy. Some might even argue, had the president not originally cut Center for Disease Control funding, or disbanded the Pandemic Unit which was part of the National Security Council in 2018–a unit that had previously coordinated the successful fight against Ebola–we would have had a jump start on preventing this catastrophe.
History will always be our best teacher. If we continue to ignore it, will be always subject to folly. Back in 1918, historical records indicated the Spanish Flu infected 500 million people—which at the time, was about a quarter of the world’s population (2 billion people). The population today is around 8 billion people. If those same statistics played out today, we would potentially lose over 2 billion people.
Yet, with this as a backdrop, the Coronavirus has infected over 300,000 worldwide and has caused over 13,000 deaths across the globe since the beginning of 2020. Unfortunately, it is growing exponentially, and may continue to do so unless preventive measure are put in place, and hospitals and nurses receive governmental assistance in the form of gloves, masks and protective gowns to minimize spread and cross-contamination from infected patients. We must continue to ask, Is our government doing enough? And we might also ask, Where did the virus come from? For more on the origins of the Coronavirus from bat species, click here.
As they say, knowledge is power. To learn more about the past successes of homeopathic medicines in pandemics–including the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, see our educational program, “From Rites to Remedies: How Homeopathic Medicine Has Saved Lives During Global Pandemics“ with well-known author and medical rights advocate, Dr. Richard Moskowitz, MD. In this program, the doctor, author and researcher discusses homeopathy use across the ages, and its successes across the globe. With the proper diagnosis and equipment, our nation’s medical professionals will no doubt stem the loss of life and catastrophic damage to our population, despite the lack of foresight and planning, and the dismissive conduct or our nation’s leaders.
Update to this article: March 28, 2020: Massachusetts Based “New Balance Corporation” athletic shoe and sportswear manufacturer is stepping up to make much needed Protective Masks. Applaudable, yet eerily evoking images of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic When Red Cross Volunteers Assembled Much Needed Masks to Battle the Pandemic and Shortages of that time.
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Copyright 2020, The Legal Edition, Mary Kay Elloian, MBA, JD, Esq. All Rights Reserved.