The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic occurred in the middle of World War I, and it reportedly cost more lives than the war itself. The disease appeared suddenly without prior warning and spread rapidly across the world. It seemed that all of humanity had fallen to the mercy of this deadly disease. The flu had very clear symptoms, as William Collier described in his letter to the Lancet. After a seizure, a patient's temperature can reach 105° or higher while their pulse averages about 90 beats per minute. High temperature and weak pulse are frequently associated with epistaxis (nosebleed) and cyanosis (bluing of the skin). Epistaxis is caused by high temperature and cyanosis is caused by lack of oxygen due to decreased pulse (Kent 34). The author of Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919, Susan Kinglsey Kent, provides a brief history of the pandemic and documents from this period. Many of the included documents show how unprepared and unorganized governments attempted to contain and control a disease they had never faced, and how governments' expectations changed due to their successes and failures. Many states and colonies around the world issued detailed sets. instructions to their residents on what exactly they should do if they come into contact with the disease. An example of this is the directive issued by TWH Holmes, Secretary of the Victoria Board of Public Health in Australia. The guideline details the symptoms, complications, treatment and prevention of the disease. A very common thing during the outbreak of a pandemic is the use of quarantine to separate the sick and the healthy. In fact, this is the first order for disease prevention at TWH Holme...... middle of paper...... flu pandemic one way or another; the use of quarantine was extremely widespread among them. Additionally, the pandemic is directly responsible for the creation of many healthcare organizations across the world. The organizations help track and research diseases across the world. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), for example, works to prevent epidemics and pandemics. They also provide guidelines for a governing body to follow in the event of an outbreak, and if an outbreak occurs, the efforts of organizations around the world will be crucial to containing it. It is astonishing that with modern medicine and appropriate organization, the flu still manages to appear every year throughout the world. Works Cited Kent, Susan Kingsley. The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic: a brief history with documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. Print.