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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    31G MurnzaTn'' ^r. T. P. THOMSON, of Wcstbuiy, Shropshire, writes, February Srd, 1889-90; by 1890: Dr. Parsons. CnApxil ^^^'^ present under medical supervision upwards of 50 cases of byDrT P Influenza. Mine is a purely agricultural practice, and I have been very fhonisoii; much struck with the fact that the farmers and their wives as a rule are the first attacked, followed in a few days by tiieir servants. I put this down to their long drives to the markets of Shrewsbury and Welsh- pool ; to their very often going all day without a substantial dinner, thereby allowing their system to get lowered ; and to the bad sanitary state of Shrewsbury acting as a feeding ground to the germs of Influenza, In my opinion the disease is infectious and contagious. by Dr. J. E. Dr. J. E. SINCLAIR, of Princes Street, Storey's Gate, London, tells Sinclair; j]jg ^^.^^ ^^gg Influenza wliich he saw was in his own house- hold, his child's nurse, who was taken ill on December 3rd with well- marked sj'mptoms of the epidemic, and had a relapse on December 20th. The child who slept in the same room up to December 3rd and after December 8tli, escaped. The only mode of infection that could be suggested was through a third person, who herself had not the com- plaint. On November 30th, a lady, who had just come from Paris, leaving her household there ill of '* la grippe, had gone into the nursery : she Avore other clothes than those she had worn at home. The case was an isolated one in Dr. Sinclair's practice until on or after December 13th, when the general outbreak in his neighbourhood seemed to begin. by Mr. .J. Par- The following case, communicated by Mr. J. Parsons, of Frorae, ; seems to fix the incubation period, if other sources of infection can be excluded, at about 34 hours :— The little son (jet. 5) of a medical man is very fond of running into the surgery (a different house from his residence, but in the same street), but was as far as possible prevented^ from doing so during the Influenza epidemic. One Saturday morning, however, between 9 and 10 a.m., he escaped his mother's vigilance, and came in for a few minutes while the place was full of patients. <^n Sunday evening he went to bed complaining, and shortly afterwards had a severe rigor, quickly followed by a temperature of 104°, with the usual frontal and muscular pains. The symptoms lasted between 24 and 48 hours, and then subsided rapidly and completely. He Avas carefully isolated at home, and no other member of the household was affected. Mr. J. Q. CosTiN, of Market Harborough, gives me the following history :— by Mr. J. Q. On January 6th Mr. and Mi-s. C. and two daughters went up to Costin. London and stayed at a large hotel until January 9th, when they left owing to Miss C. having been taken ill the evening before. On leaving Mr. C. was told by the manager that many of the servants at the iiotel had been laid up with Influenza. There had been no Influenza previously at Market Harborough. On January 10th Mrs. C, who had been to London, was taken ill, and on January 14th Mr. C. and the other daughter.