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The largest number of deaths was in the decennium 25-35.
131 of the 232 deaths which occurred at that period were from Influenza.
The proportion of deaths from Influenza to total deaths was exceedingly
high between the ages of 5 and 35, but diminished rapidly
from 35 onward. Only 11 of the 268 deaths under 1 year were from
Influenza, and only 35 of the 478 deaths over 65. The 454 deaths
compare with 35, 25, 33, 29, and 29 in the five preceding years.
The increase, therefore, in 1918 was a sudden one.
The earliest record of cases occurring in October was in
the Women's Hostel, Eltham, on October 7th. The outbreak may be
said to have lingered on into the present year.
Inquiries were made at some 32 houses where deaths occurred,
and 14 others where cases occurred. These houses contained 295
persons, 146 of whom had Influenza during October-December.
Incubation. It was found that the average interval between the
first and second cases was three day6, where only one family was
involved, but where the second case was in a different family, occupying
the same house, the average interval was seven days. The
shortest interval where one family only was involved was 36 hours,
and the longest 7 days.
Of the 221 inmates of the houses visited, which were occupied
by only one family, 108 were affected with Influenza, and of the
74 inmates of houses occupied by two and more families 38 were affected
, showing that the occupation by more than one family did not
materially increase the number of persons affected. No doubt the
houses occupied by two families were more crowded than those
ocoupied by one family.
Of the 32 deaths 15 were suffering from some serious preexisting
disease or severe overwork.
Out of 76 persons who had Influenza in October and November
only one had it in .Tune and July. 6 persons were met with who had
Influenza in July. All these were found to have escaped in October
and November. The evidence as t'o a certain amount of protection
afforded by a recent attaok is therefore strong.
As regards density of population of houses where the disease
occurred, the average number of persons to a room was 1.33. There
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