Report on the influenza epidemic of 1889-90 / by Dr. Parsons ; with an introduction by the medical officer of the local government board.

  • Parsons, H. Franklin (Henry Franklin), 1846-1913
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the influenza epidemic of 1889-90 / by Dr. Parsons ; 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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    appears applicable to most, if not to all the districts. The first cases Ou Epidemic *' of Influenza in Giessen were recognised about December 10th, 1889. ^889-90^1)^^ Next thoroughly sporadic cases were met with, of many of which the Dr. Parsons. diagnosis was only established retrospectively. From about December chapTii. 17th it was generally recognised that the Influenza had effected its entry into Giessen ; but the Christmas festivities passed over tolerably undisturbed. Towards the end of the year the number of sick already began considerably to mount up. The actual epidemic, how- ever, broke out with quite explosive violence in the first days of the New Year, and proceeded thenceforward to an extension, such as scarcely anyone bad hitherto anticipated. Already by January 6th it had reached its highest point, which it maintained equally in the two first weeks of the year. From 'about January 13th a slow retro- gression could be reported, but the end of the epidemic followed almost as abruptly as its outbreak, and can be fixed at about January 20th. It was like a thaw. But until late in February new cases of sickness continued to occur, concerning which it must be left to individual judgment, which were to he counted as Influenza and which not. [The above description and dates will almost exactly apply to the Influenza epidemic in London.] The highest point of the epidemic seems to have been reached in the first week, or between then and the middle of January, except at Bingen, where the first cases did not occur till the middle of January, and the epidemic did not reach its height till the beginning of February. The proportion of the inhabitants affected was variously estimated in different districts, in some from 25 to 30 per cent., in others from 50 to 75 per cent. In the schools of one district 68 5 per cent, of the scholars suffered. All classes, ages, and sexes were attacked, but persons of the middle periods of life appeared te suffer in larger proportion than the very young; males at all ages more than females ; and persons em- ployed in the open air more than those indoors. There was doubt, however, whether the apparent greater incidence on certain classes might not be due to cases in those classes being more likely to come under medical observation. The opinion universally held prior to the epidemic of the purely miasmatic origin of Influenza was greatly shaken during its course by the numerous instances which were observed of the disease having been introduced by persons who had contracted it in other places, and having spread from those first attacked to others who came in contact with them. The greater amount of social intercourse at Christmas, and the nuiflerous holiday-makers from the towns who went to visit their friends in other places, were considered to have tended to the extension of the Influenza epidemic. The number of deaths directly attributed to Influenza in the Grand Duchy was 514, or 52 per 10,000 population, but the total number of deaths in January, 1890 was 1.522 in excess of that in 1889 (3,354, against 1,832). The Royal Medical College of Stuttgart, in a report* on the Influenza Wurtemberg. epidemic in the State of Wurtemberg, state that the disease was making insidious advances among the population in the first three weeks of December. It was at first mainly confined to the towns, and if it appeared in villages it did so as an importa,tion from the more populous centres. With the close of the third week in December a sudden change * Lancet, November 8, 1890. E 67438.
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