namely, pressure on medical beds due to the general epidemic. This man was a slight gas case and was admitted about midnight on the 6th, afebrile on arrival, but had a sudden rise of temperature at 12 P.M. on the 8th, a period of 48 hours after admission. His ailment showed pyrexia, rhonchi, and crepitations at the left base. His recovery was rapid, the laryngitis, due to gas, remaining unaltered during the whole period. His left-hand neighbour, No. 11, suffered from fracture of the right and

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... ft humerus, and this case had a sudden rise of temperature on the 8th, shivering and coryzal symptoms, and an ear discharge. This cleared up very rapidly. The incubation period was between 35 and 40 hours. The limitation of spread from these cases may be explained by the fact that although the beds were occupied, yet elaborate cross-pieces for splints materially increased the space between the beds, thus interposing the barrier to further spread. Suntmary. The ailment from which all these cases were suffering appears without doubt to be influenza, both from the positive bacteriological results in two cases out of nine and also from the clinical observations. As regards the latter, it is interesting to note that the following symptoms were presented by one or other case, and that the duration of the illness was either long or short : (1) septicaemia ; (2) coryza; (3) bronchitis ; (4) broncho-pneumonia; (5) otitis media ; (6) body pains, &c. In all these cases the incubation period was about 48 hours, the cases in which possibilities of accurate observation were greatest were those which approximated most closely to a 48-hour period. These observations illustrate two factors in the spread of influenza. Firstly, the narrow radius within which infection takes place ; secondly, the shortness and apparent punctuality of the incubation period. Both these factors help to explain the rapid spread of epidemic influenza.