104 TYPHUS FEVER 



weeks in succession without adequate means of providing themselves with 

 food or fuel and this in the depth of winter of others being compelled 

 to fast for days together, uncheered by any hope of better fortune, living, more- 

 over, or rather starving in a crowded garret or damp cellar, and gradually 

 sinking under the pressure of want and despair into a premature grave; and 

 when this has been confirmed by the evidence of their careworn looks, their 

 excited feelings, and their desolated homes can I wonder that many of them, 

 in such times of misery, and destitution, spoke and acted with ferocious pre- 

 cipitation ? 



In 1847-1848 there was a revival of typhus, under the name of 

 "Irish Fever," in England. The last epidemic in England occurred 

 in 1863-1864, and was in part due to the "cotton famine" resulting 

 from the Civil war in our own country. Since that time typhus has 

 gradually decreased in Britain, but has not entirely disappeared. 



From the fact that I have dwelt on typhus in Britain, it must not 

 be inferred that it was unknown or was less prevalent on the conti- 

 nent of Europe during the seventeeth, eighteenth and nineteenth cen- 

 turies. It was constantly present and assumed epidemic proportions 

 of varying intensity in diverse places at different times. No European 

 nation has been wholly free from it and it has continued to develop 

 epidemics especially in Austria and Russia. The present war has 

 developed the conditions most favorable to its dissemination and I 

 shall not attempt to predict the part it may play in the savage struggle 

 now going on. 



Taking Europe as a whole the period from about 1670 to about 

 1850 may be considered as the typhus age. This does not mean that 

 this disease did not exist before this period or that it ceased with the 

 close of it. Neither assumption would be true, but before that time 

 typhus was overshadowed for many centuries by the more deadly 

 plague. Still it is a question if even at that time typhus did not kill 

 more than the plague. The former was constantly present while the 

 latter lapsed from time to time apparently on account of lack of 

 susceptible material. Even during the typhus age other deadly infec- 

 tions, as smallpox, tuberculosis, diphtheria, etc., aided in rolling up 

 heavy mortality lists. A complete history of typhus would be a valu- 

 able contribution to human knowledge and should be studied by states- 

 men and all interested in the welfare of the race, as well as physicians. 



