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I wasn't aware that the flu caused the end of the Great War. That seems a bit overstated. From what I can tell from a bit of quick research, the biggest cause of the war ending was the successful execution of the Hundred Days Offense, that began in August 8, 1918 by the Allies against the Central Powers, with the greatest successes between August 8 and October 14, when the a quarter million soldiers American Expeditionary Force broke the Hindenburg line.

The first flu cases were recorded in March 1918. That first wave, in the spring of 1918, was less deadly. In the second wave, in September and October 1918 was more deadly. World War I ended between 29 September (Bulgaria) and November 11 (Germany) as one by one, the various Central powers signed ceasefires and armistices. The celebrations and returning troops led to a resurgence of the pandemic in the winter of 1918-19. The third and final wave came in the spring of 1919.

On the other hand, the Brother Jonathan article that I posted surely overstates the role of aspirin in all this. I just can't imagine that aspirin spread like wild fire over the world, even into nations such as India that suffered the most flu deaths, as quickly as did the flu.

On the third hand, I find it quite persuasive that taking fever reducing medicines such as aspirin could well increase the risk of death from a serious round of the flu. Fevers of 102 to 104 are a healthy response to the flu, and the body's primary defense mechanism. One should not suppress that.

Fevers of 102 to 104 are a healthy response to the flu, and the body's primary defense mechanism. One should not suppress that.

I nearly died from Flu in 1968, my fever went to 105 and was stopped from going higher by ice water baths. My recovery began after the fever went so high. Since then I have had very few viral infections.