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17
INFLUENZA TO 1891.
Before dealing with the epidemic during the present year, it
would be well to look back to the previous years; it will be
remembered that this supposed Miasmatic disease reached our
shores in an epidemic form at the latter end of 1889, and continued
during the early part of 1890, it was called the " Russian
Influenza," probably deriving part of its nomenclature from the
fact that it was in Russia that the disease occurred previous to
its becoming acute in this country. Prior to its appearance in
London, in many stables during October, 1889, there occurred
the disease known as influenza among horses ; I personally
saw a number of animals in several large establishments in our
district in that month with this disease, whose principal
symptoms were high temperature, excessive weakness and
cough. Three months later the influenza spread with alarming
rapidity through households in London. The disease was soon
found to be highly infectious, with an incubation period of from
three to six days. In most of the cases that came under my
notice I found that the malady was ushered in with a high
temperature varying from 102° to 105° (normal temperature
being 98.4°), rigors, frontal headache, pains in the back, and
great prostration followed by cough, and, if neglected with inflammation
of the respiratory organs. It was about the middle
of December that it first appeared in England. In London at
the commencement of the new year it spread very rapidly,
reached its height about the first week which was maintained
for about a fortnight, then abruptly declined about the third
week in January. It may be described as coming like a wave,
which remained at its height a fortnight then disappeared as
suddenly as it came.
With regard to Influenza, although the disease is more or less
always prevalent in the winter months, it is thirty-nine years
ago since it assumed anything approaching an epidemic form, at
which time it will be seen from the table below (compiled by
Dr. Parsons, Local Government Board,) the mortality was
only half that of the year 1890, although in 1847 and 1848 the
deaths were 1,253 and 659 respectively.