Are There Treatments for the Spanish Flu?

The Spanish Flu is a strain of influenza that caused a pandemic near the end of World War I during 1918 to 1919. Back then doctors did not know what caused the virus or how to develop a specific treatment. There were nearly 675,000 Americans who died from influenza before the virus ran its course. However, there are treatments that work, and many were developed by non-medical facilities such as the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Bowel Cleansing

• One type of treatment that was developed to fight the Spanish Flu was to have patients undergo a water enema. Patients at the sanitarium would receive a water enema twice a day using 2 to 3 pints or water to cleanse the colon thoroughly. Enema treatments would begin at the first stages of the virus and continue until the patient was fully recovered.

Liquids and Foods

• Patients at the sanitarium in Battle Creek would undergo an additional treatment that consisted of drinking 3 to 4 quarts of fruit juice or water each day. This was done to help the kidneys and skin eliminate the virus. Patients were required to drink a glass of liquid every half hour when they were awake. Bran that contained fiber was also mixed into oatmeal and rice, which helped with bowel movements to help cleanse the body of waste.

Baths and Blanket Wraps

• Patients with fevers were given hot baths or were wrapped in hot blanket packs to help reduce the fever and ease pain in the legs and back. A hot wet blanket was wrapped around a patient for up to 15 minutes, and a wool blanket was placed around the hot wet blanket. If the patient had a high fever, the blankets were only kept on for four to five minutes.

Cold Compress

• Patients with a headache or who suffered a high fever had a cold compress applied to the head and face. The cold compress was immediately applied after a short hot blanket wrap to help reduce the patient's fever. Patients who experienced a rapid pulse while wrapped in a blanket wrap also had a cold compress or an ice pack held over their heart.

Transfusions

• In addition to non-medical treatments for the Spanish Flu, there were also various medical treatments that were developed. One type of treatment involved transfusions of blood products, such as whole blood, plasma and serum, in seriously ill patients to reduce the risk of death. This treatment increased the survival rate of seriously ill patients in 1918 by about 50 percent.