The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1891-05-02 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

GREAT SPREAD OF THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC. THOUSANDS OF CASES. Influenza continues to spread to an alarming extent in some of the northern and eastern caustic& a nem are numerous cases at Spalding, edll berten;'Shad in the south of Linoolnshire: There are. permute seriously ill of the malady at Alford, whilst ll tbe villages around there is even more Illness, and several d.eaths have occurred. Scarcely a household seems to have escaped at Spilsby, where deaths- are also reported. At Brigg temporary arrangements have had to be made for the relief of the poor, in consequence of the relieving Officer being attacked. At Caistor influenza of • severe type is very prevalent in the town and neighbourhood. The malady has also made its appearance at Sibeey, whilst it has broken out in an aggravated form at Boston. At Hormastle ' two deaths have occurred in the workhouse, and on one day out of 100 inmates nearly half the number were in bed with influenza. The influenza epidemic has been especially severe ha end around,Grimeby. Within a week the deatkir ret has increased from an average of 15 per weak to 12 and 15 per day. The disease continues to spread with alarming rapidity in Wakefield and the neighbourhood. In some districts there is scarcely a house without • sufferer from the complaint, and in many please every member of the household is under the care of the doctor. During the past week Rotherham and the surremains populous neighbourhood has suffered to a considerable extent. The number of patients under medical cars has increased to over one thousand. Two or three of the large works in the town have been seriously affected, while in some of the outlying districts the schools have had to be closed. The influenza epidemic continues to spread with alarming rapidity at Sheffield, and almost every business house is left short-handed. At the large works the eflecta are severely felt, and in some instances departments have been closed in consequence of an insufficient number of workmen. Medical men have their hands more than full, the pressure being increased by the fact that several doctors are themselves victims. At Rotherham the visitation is as wide-spread, and at the West Riding Police court on Monday several cases had to be adjourned, as the witnesses were unable to appear in consequence of suffering from the complaint. Fortunately the present epidemic is not of such a severe type as that experienced lest year, and comparatively few fatal cases are reported. One case of suicide in consequence of the distressing pains in the head has occurred, the victim being a young man connected with a chapel, in the work of which he took a prominent pert. A serious outbreak is reported at Stockport. Thirty-six of the inmates of the workhouse, and almost all the officers, have been attacked with the disease in a serious form, and several deaths are reported. Mr. Henniker Heatton, M.P., has been quite prostrated by the malady. The epidemic has now reached London and several cases are reported. The Archbishop of York is suffering from an attack of influenza, which prevents his departure from London for the present. Influenza is very prevalent at York. The Lord Mayor, the Deputy Lord Mayor, and the City Sheriff are all suffering, and 300 men are off work from the North-Eastern Company's engine and carriage shops from the same cause. At Sheffield the death-rate works out to the alarming figure of 57.5 per 1,000. A large portion of the population is suffering from the complaint in either a mild or an aggravated form. At Gainsborough, it was found necessary to postpone a Primrose League demonstration fixed for Wednesday. The epidemic is making itself specially felt among the employes of the various railway companies in the provinces. At Leeds, Pontefract, Normanton, Wakefield, and Chesterfield, the absentees are numerous, and at Sheffield the Midland Railway Company's sick-list alone on Tuesday comprised 25 clerks and 84 labourers, dm. There are also some cases at Derby. Thomas Harvester, of Pontefract, who was married on Good Friday, died on Saturday from the effects of a severe attack of the disease. The epidemic affected him mentally as well as physically. On Sunday William Roberts, a youth residing at Tanshelf, died from the same disease. On Tuesday morning Sergeant O'Leary, of the York and Lancashire Regiment, died in Pontefract Barracks, having succumbed to a similar attack. Altogether some 400 cases of influenza are known to exult in Pontefract. Some of the soldiers stationed at Chatham are suffering from the disease. Mr. Mundella, M.P., has been confined to his bed by a severe attack of influenza.  the