Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Influenza / by W.T. Gairdner. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![indication is afforded in the following remarks:—“A distinct peculiarity which I have noticed in connection with the epi- demic is, that when several members of one household have suffered, their symptoms have been almost identical; but when the forms of attack in several households are compared, there are great differences ; acute frontal headache in one ; in another, pains in the back and limbs; in a third, sore throat. It was evident that it was the house, and not the family relationship that had to do with the peculiarity. In one institution to which I act as medical attendant I saw six of the inmates in one day, and though they did not know of each other’s illnesses, the story told in each case was almost identical. The same was noticed in a warehouse in town, where fifteen out of forty of the employees were attacked within a week or ten days.” 11. This correspondent, in a widespread and miscellaneous practice, has seen about 80 cases since the beginning of January. His description of the symptoms is so like most of the preceding as not to require repetition. There were no deaths, but in two or three cases severe bronchitis or broncho-pneumonia; in one woman great orthopnoea not accounted for by the physicial signs. Sleeplessness was a marked symptom. “The bulk of my cases were well in seven to ten days, but I have had several where the illness has lasted about 21 days, and the patients are just able to be out of bed; indeed, in two or three cases they have not yet been able, without the sense of shivering coming on, and compelling them to stay where they are.” The letter just quoted adverts to the recent occurrence, both in Glasgow and Edinburgh, of a “ very severe and widespread epidemic of influenza or ‘pink eye’ in horses; for nearly a month or more prior to the outbreak of the disease in man, whole stables, holding large studs, have been down with it, as, for instance, was the case with our largest railway carriers and the Tramway Company.” [This fact had not escaped the notice of Dr. Russell, the Medical Officer of Health, who had also occasion to note one or two facts of suspicion as beai'ing on the question of contagious propagation from animals to man. But, on inquiry, I find that in the large establishment of Messrs. Wylie & Lochhead, while there has been abundance of “ pink eye,” the men who have had to do with their very extensive stables have been almost exempt from disease, and certainly in no degree specially prone to the epidemic.]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21914503_0023.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
