Further report and papers on epidemic influenza, 1889-92 / with an introduction by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board.

  • Great Britain. Local Government Board
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Further report and papers on epidemic influenza, 1889-92 / with an introduction by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    those in middle life. On the other hand, children, after the first year, who On the influenza are the principal sufferers from other infectious disorders, are commonly fg89-9a'isoi^and mildly affected by Influenza and comparatively rarely die of it. Hence, i89i-92; by cceteris paribus, in a community containing many children and young ^' personij the death-rate from Influenza, will be lower than in one con- taining a smaller proportion of children, and a larger one of elderly persons. Now in the wealthier districts there are, for obvious reasons, a large number of elderly persons and of unmarried adults, especially domestic servants, and therefore, on the other hand, a relatively small proportion of children. In the part of this report dealing with the startistics of 1890, I have shown that, as a rule, the mortality from Influenza was high in those counties where the birth-rate was low, and vice versa. As regards occupation, I have in my former report shown reason for thinking that fatigue and exposure render persons more liable to contract Influenza, or cause them to have it in a severer form if they do contract it. The danger to the patient of going about while suffering from the disease or at too early a stage of convalescence is generally recognised. Exposure to great heat, to night air, and to the inhalation of dust- Occupation of laden air have all been suggested as conducing to Influenza, but f,]!'^^^^^ I have not seen any attempt to prove this numerically. As I have previously shown, the frequently-observed earlier incidence on persons whose occupations take them out of doors may be explained by their more frequent opportunities of coming in contact with infection. Dr. Caldwell Smith gives me the following notes as the results of his experience on these points :— I cannot say that, in my experience, either locality or occupation had any effect on the spread of Influenza. In this district (Motherwell, Lanarkshire) all sorts and conditions suffered equally, colliers, iron and steelworkers in every department, both in Siemens and Thomson-Gilchrist processes, joiners, masons, labourers, shopkeepers, all suffered. The stablemen and grooms at two large hiring establishments here were not exempt, although it is worthy of note that in one 3'ard, -where several horses took influenzal pneumonia, the two grooms who were in immediate attendance were the only two who did not take the disease, while other five grooms, &c., who had nothing to do with the care of the affected animals, took it. That exposure to dust-laden air did not render the disease more severe, was seen in the fact that although in this district colliers suffered severely, yet in a neighbouring parish where the coal mines are no better ventilated, and vrhere the methods of working are much the same, they escaped almost altogether. Policemen in this district, although exposed much to night air, did not suffer more severely than others. Puerperal women suffered very severely, and were very prone to infection. Three cases came under my own observation, and all gave me great anxiety for many weeks. Convalescence was also slow. 6. Are there any circumstances, as of locality or occupation, which tend to exemption from Influenza ? Few places in this country appear to have escaped Influenza entirely in the last three years, though a few are said to have been only lightly affected. The village of Bookhope, Durham, is said to have remained almost <JircumstanceB free from Influenza in each of the three recent epidemics, although other i^™jni^
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