“The most prevailing epidemics for the last twelve months have been typhus maligna and mitior, scarlatina anginosa, measles, and mumps. Many of the former have proved alarmingly fatal in several of our villages, whilst those of the second class of typhoid fevers have put on the appearance of the low nervous kind attended with great prostration of strength, depression of spirits, loss of appetite, etc., which frequently continue many weeks before a compleat recovery ensues.” Five cases, of “the most malignant kind of typhus,” occurred in a farmer’s family: one of the sons, aged eighteen, died in a few days with delirium, and black sordes of the mouth, tongue and throat; then the father, two daughters, and another son, took the infection but all escaped with their lives. Of four persons who nursed them, one caught the fever, and died. Four persons in a neighbouring family, who visited them, took infection, of whom two died[293]. There was perhaps nothing very unusual in such instances of country fevers at the beginning of the century. The incident is exactly in the manner of one that figures prominently in a story of Scottish life and customs at the same period, which long passed current as a faithful picture and as enforcing a much-needed moral[294]. Comparative immunity from Fevers during the War and high prices of 1803-15. From 1803 to 1816 there was comparatively little fever in this country. This was notably the case in London, but it was also true of all the larger towns where fever-hospitals had been established, and it was as true of Ireland as of England. This was, indeed, a time of great prosperity, which reached to all classes, the permanent rise of wages having more than balanced the increased cost of the necessaries of life. The following prices of wheat will show that a dear loaf did not necessarily mean distress while the war-expenditure lasted: Prices of wheat (from Tooke). _s._ _d._ 1802 57 1 1803 52 3 1804 Lady Day 49 6 Dec. 86 2 1805 Aug. 98 4 Dec. 74 5 1806 73 5 1807 Nov. 66 1808 May 73 6 Dec. 92 1809 March 95 July 86 6 Dec. 102 6 1810 June 113 5 Dec. 94 7 1811 June 86 11 Nov. 101 6 1812 Aug. 155 Nov. 113 6 1813 Aug. 112 Dec. 73 6 1814 July 66 5 1815 Dec. 53 7 1816 May 74 Dec. 103 1817 June 111 6 1817 Sept. 77 7 1818 Dec. 78 10 1819 Aug. 75 1820 72 1821 July 51 Dec. 50 1822 42 1823 Feb. 40 8 June 62 5 Oct. 46 5 Dec. 50 8 1824 65