004 DR A. LOCKHART GILLESPIE ON 



As a short and clear method of presenting the facts about these epidemics, I have 

 drawn up charts which graphically depict their course. A chart for the epidemic of 

 1891-92 has been added for comparison. The charts explain themselves, the upper parts 

 representing the actual weekly numbers, the lower the percentages to the total admis- 

 sions into the Medical Wards. The upper parts are not directly comparable, owing to 

 the variations in the number of total admissions ; the lower, as percentages of these total 

 admissions, correspond exactly to one another (Charts II. to VI.). 



The epidemic of 1848-49 was the most severe of any of those which I have recorded : 

 as many as 14*83 p.c. of the total admissions for 23 weeks were due to this disease. 

 It is interesting to note that in the Infirmary books it is termed " Fever Epidemic " ; 

 only in one instance is a case entered as Influenza. At the height of the attack as 

 many as 16 cases were admitted in one week, giving a percentage of 39*2 p.c. In the 

 figures for this epidemic and for the succeeding ones up to 1858 all fever cases were 

 subtracted from the total admissions into the Medical Wards, as in those days 

 infectious diseases were classed with the other medical cases. The most striking 

 point observable in the chart which has been drawn out for this attack is the large 

 number of patients admitted with Digestive disorders, — 14*46 p.c. of the total 

 number, — when compared with the numbers admitted during the other epidemics. It 

 may be also observed that the increase corresponds with the height of the epidemic. 

 Although the attack of Influenza in 1848-49 occurred during the winter months, the 

 Respiratory system was not much affected, if we except cases of Pneumonia, which were 

 in excess during the earlier part. Cardiac, affections were very small in number — only 

 0*65 per week. 



The epidemic of 1851, which lasted 18 weeks, was a spring attack, and chiefly 

 remarkable for the large proportion of cases of Acute Rheumatism admitted, — 1*88 per 

 week, or 4*69 p.c. of the total number. The percentage for the last seven years was, as 

 we have seen, 2*7 p.c, or a little more than half. The Respiratory cases also showed an 

 increase. Nervous and Digestive cases were few in number. 



Although the epidemic which occurred in the beginning of 1855 was very slightly 

 marked in Edinburgh, so far, at any rate, as the admission of actual cases of Influenza 

 was concerned, the percentage of Respiratory cases almost equalled that of the epidemic 

 of 1889-90. In 1889-90 the percentage was 33*1 p.c. : in 1855, 32*2 p.c. Cardiac 

 disease showed an advance on the previous attacks, while the number of Kidney 

 affections were much above normal. 



The attack of Influenza which occurred during the winter months of 1857-58 hardly 

 merits the name of Epidemic, but the number of Respiratory cases increased coincidently 

 with the admission of a few cases of Influenza, — a remark which also applies to the 

 admissions of Pneumonia. Only 8 cases of Influenza were recorded at this time. 

 Nervous cases show an increase at the time of the epidemic* 



* The weather conditions which preceded and followed these four epidemics do not correspond exactly 



