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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    At Miirket Deeping the disease was first observed about the middle On Epidti/.k- of December. Mr. Benson gives me the following history of its sup- Js'sy-90' bv' posed inti'oduction. The clerk at the Market Deeping post oiBce (a J)r. Parsoiis and. young man about 21) paid a visit to London on December 11th. He spent most of the day at the General Post Office, and was shown over Ctivp. X.. the various departments in the building. He returned to Market Deeping the same night. A few days later he seemed ill, and developed a loud hard cough, which was worst at night. On December 16th one of the daughters of the postmistress (a widow) took ill with the usual symptoms of Influenza, but accompanied by bilious vomiting. This girl assisted her mother in the shop and was therefore in daily contact with the young man. The disease went through the whole family (10 cases), except the grandmother, aged 78. The clerk had unfortunately left Market Deeping at tlie date of my visit, so that I had no opportunity of questioning him. Previous to this Mr. F»enson says there had been no such case ; the first case (the girl's) in the family at the post office was so acute that it was at first diagnosed to be t yphoid. In Market Deeping I saw a gas stoker from Greenwich (one who had gone to take the place of the strikers) ; he began with Influenza at Greenwich on December 29th.. He travelled back to Market Deeping by rail (still ill) on January 4th.. He probably helped to spread the disease by infecting the third class compartment in which he travelled. Plis wife took ill after his return. Hokse-Influenza. 1 visited the Veterinary College, Camden Town, and saw Professors Horsc-iuflucnr-, Brown, Axe, and McQueen from whom I received a large amount of inibrmation. I also saw Mr. J. G. Gresswell, M.R.C.V.S., at Louth and from him obtained some interesting facts. At Camden Toivn the authorities did not consider horse-influenza the views of same as the disease in man. I saw several convalescents in the stables, ^'i^I^hikitv'' but the epidemic was over. Horse-influenza began to show epidemic Colkr'^; proportions in London in October and lasted till the end of December. No attendants on the animals were known to suffer from any symptoms resembling those of the horses. There are several varieties of disease known as influenza among horses, but the present epidemic has been different from others which preceded it in the following particulars:— 1. Its suddenness of onset. 2. Its short duration of symptoms. 3. Its absence of complications. 4. Extreme prostration. The incubation period is said to be from two to eight days. The illness seldom lasts more than a week unless the animal has been worked or exposed. The acute symptoms tliemselves are only present usually three or four days, but the prostration is extreme and may per>ist some time afterwards. The disease begins Avith shivering, in some with griping. The invasion is sudden. The highest temperature reached is usually at beginning of illness. In severe cases the tempera-- ture reaches 107° (normal temperature of Iiorse being 100-6°). The' average highest range is 105°. In three or four days the temperature has sunk to normal. Professor McQueen has supphed me with the