, 1890-02-05

unuCC luC uOUlC0 VI Uu0 u1llHC IIIl NlNto'l'
but, speaking generally, the average lis
about the same as reported Oh Tuesday.
Guys has lost the services of several other
nurses, who are temporarily incapacitated
by the disease, and three or four more
students have been added to the list
of victims. The out patients yesterday
reached to between fifty and sixty, and
they were without exception persons in
whom symptoms of influenza had develop.
e with II he past few hours. DR.. Steele,
the superintendent, was reported to be
much bet el. LII the Out-patlent depart
ment OF Westminster Hospital there were
sixty five cases of influenza yesterday.
DR.. MARCEL is treating them with a steam
spray apparatus, the drugs chiefly employ
ed, for their antiseptic properties, being
pure terebene and oil of eucalyptus, It
the London Hospital 400 patients we're
treated during the day, and 100 more in
the course Of the evening. So great has
been the strain upon this particular lnStI-
tuition that it has become necessary to set
apart a special room for the reception of
influenza patients and the dispensing of
their medicines.
From the Central Telegraph Office and
the General Post Office the reports are by
no means reasSuring. The sudden with
drawal of hundreds of employees portends
SOIIOu0 lACOu IL OOAAIIbAC't II bHS
same ratio. The epidemic seems to be
ravaging these two Offices, and the wonder
is how since Saturday the work has been
accomplished without any very mlschle-
vOus interruption to public business. In
the Central Telegraph Office the latest
return supplied yesterday gave the follow.
ing figures AbsenteeS-Males, day turn,
1872; night, 26 females, 1l6 TnrogmOr.
t%on-avenue, 80; Stock Exchange, 7; Moor.
gate street buildings, 9 Commercial Sale
Rooms, 2 /; total, 1874. In addition to the
above, Ii males and Is females were re-
leased after having done part of a days
duty. Up to ten O'Clock vest rday morn.
ing from the two instrument galleries of
the central office alone the figures were
218, as against 200 at the same hour on
Tuesday. Of the boys employed dis tele-
graph messengers the number ~lncapaCita-
ted had reached 10, and, Judging by the
average OF the past few days, IA further
increase is imminent. In the diSpensary
over 900 bottles of medicine were dis
pensed on Monday, with Il smaller sick
list than has now to be provided for, and
to grapple with the necessities of the pc.
sition extra dispensers have been PIT on.
The medical staff have been disappointed
III their anticipation that the maximum
would have been reached on Tuesday,
though ibis, with satisfaction that they are
able to certify thNt in a fair proportion of
the cases the symptoms are comparatively
mild. Where true influenza is not pre-
sent, patients come under treatment for
feverish colds and catarrh. 1t is only by a
system of overtime the Department has
hitherto STAYED off any breakdown. 1t is
mentioned aS a curious fact that while the
epidemic had so generally affected the
Geographic staff, it had incidentally very
largely increased the work of the operators
in the metropolis, lnasmuch as on Tuesday
5000 messages passed between business
houses and employees absent from duty,
the reason assigned for such absence being
the malady now SO widespread. Fortu,
nately the difficulties of the department
are not increased by country speeches Of
leading politicians or by Parliamentary
work. The officials now under treatment
are the Comptroller, two Assistant Comp
trollers, and several assistant Geographic
superintendent. The Comptroller (Mr.
Fishery il making such progress as it is
hoped will enable him to return to duty at
an early day.
An official return prepared at the Gene
raj Post Office gives the total number of
absentees up to Tuesday night aS ,606,
being an excess of 200 over the figures of
the preceding day. The number falling
under the influence of tue epidemic was
further ENLARGED Yesterday. and several