Grip
or LA GRIPPE, a disease which frequently becomes an epidemic in different parts of the United States and Europe and in the East and West Indies. It is believed to be contagious GRISI and is somewhat similar to influenza.
The symptoms are fever, headache, swelling and pain in the smaller joints, eruption of the skin, etc. It is also known as "dengue,” and, in the Southern States, as "break-bone fever." The disease is produced by bacilli which, when magnified, appear somewhat like goose eggs in form and substance. They are usually discovered in pairs, and where the disease has attacked a person are abundant in the lung and bronchial tissues, and in the nasal and salivary secretions. They are imbibed in breathing, and will not breed except in a temperature of at least 80°, yet no degree of natural cold can kill them. When in a tempe temperature below that mentioned they remain in a dormant state. In 1892, the grip germ was discovered in Berlin by Prof. Robert Pfeifer, who observed that it breeds by lengthening itself and then dividing in the middle. This operation requires about 20 minutes, and wonderful as it may seem, is continued until it produces 16,500,000 germs in 24 hours.
GRIQUALAND (grēkwa-) WEST and EAST, two British districts of south Africa, part of the colony of Good Hope, named from the Griquas or Bastaards, a mixed race sprung from Dutch settlers and native women. GRIQUALAND WEST lies to the N. E. of Cape Colony, is bounded on the S. by the Orange river, on the N. by Bechuana territory, on the E. by the former Orange Free State, now called Orange River Colony, on the W. by the Kalahari country; area, 15,197 square miles; pop. about 110,000. Portions of the country are suitable for sheep farming and agriculture, but the chief source of wealth is the diamond fields. The first diamond was discovered in 1867. Diamonds to the value of $75,000,000 were found there between 1883 and 1887. KIMBERLY (q. v.), which has had railway connection with the Cape since 1885, is the chief center of the diamond industry and the seat of government. The chief towns are De Beers, Du Toit's Pan, Bultfontein, Barkly, and Griqua Town. Griqualand West is now incorporated in the Cape and constitutes four of the 71 divisions. GRI- QUALAND EAST, area, 7,594 square miles; pop. about 225,000. This territory was annexed to the Cape in 1875, and is now under colonial rule, having one chief magistrate and nine subordinates. Chief village, Kokstadt.