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malady—relapsing fever, which had never before
been seen in the city; and the mortality from the
three kinds of fever was so great that the epidemic
might well be called a pestilence.
The origin of the epidemic has been attributed by
the Russian medical authorities to the bad hygienic
arrangements of the city, and to the unusual aggregation
of workmen, 43,000 of whom had resorted
to the city in excess of the usual number; added
to which there was a scarcity of provisions and all
the depressing influences of a changeable climate.
So rapidly did the epidemic advance, that from a
few cases of sickness per day at the end of August,
it numbered at least 500 cases in the hospitals in
November; and towards the end of January and
beginning of February, after a slight lull in the
winter months, there were from 250 to 300 cases
per day. Every effort was made by the authorities
to check the progress of the epidemic; but although
public hospitals were provided, and sanitary
measures were adopted, yet six months after the
outbreak of the fevers there were not less than
150 cases admitted daily into the public hospitals;
and by the 1st of March the total number of cases
admitted was 14,722, of which 2,034 had died.
About half of these cases were typhus, and the
other were relapsing fever. The population of St.
Petersburgh is about 500,000; and, therefore,