Fever

That 250,000 Greeks are down with dengue feve* was last week's startling announcement from the Greek Ministry of Health.

But the 250,000 were of secondary interest beside the fact that Eleutherios Venizelos, "Grand Old Man of Crete," founder of the Greek Republic, and now Prime Minister, was also down with dengue fever, after having just won the Greek elections (TIME, Sept. 3)..

*Also called breakbone, dandy, stiffnecked and knockel-koorts. It is an acute, communicable disease of short duration, characterized by a sudden onset; usually with severe pains in the head, muscles, bones and joints; fever; a bounding pulse increased in rate; and an irregular eruption. The disease always terminates in recovery if no complications are present.