Notes

Abstract

THE epidemic of influenza which has ravaged the country during the last month or so seems to be abating, at least in London, where, however, 1256 deaths were attributed to it in the week ending October 26. The experience of previous epidemics in London has been that excessive mortality from influenza in any single epidemic does not continue beyond a period of about six weeks. Contrary to what has been stated in the public Press, a summer epidemic like that of last July is unusual, and the occurrence of a second epidemic like the present within three months of a previous one is almost unknown. While the influenza bacillus was found only in a small proportion of cases in July, now it seems to be fairly prevalent, but the pneumonia complicating the disease, and to which the mortality is chiefly attributable, appears to be caused mainly by secondary infection with the pneumococcus or the streptococcus. In a small localised influenza epidemic which occurred in a hospital in France Majors Foster and Cookson establish an incubation period of forty-eight hours for the disease, also that infection spreads only within a narrow radius (Lancet, November 2, p. 588).