Influenza suites in the chamber

The quaestor replacing the legendary glass of water with assorted herbal teas.
(Le Charivari, Paris, 1890)

In a time of influenza

From Humoristické listy, Prague, 1890.

“Hey you, ‘borrow’ a magazine somewhere.”
“You wanna entertain yourself with politics?”
“Hah! I would just like to know if they also shut down criminals now like they do schools. Then there would be something more to do.”

“You’ve got the flu, Tony! Where are you going?”
“To the pharmacy; the master has it, too.”
“Is that so great?”
“No! He’s so weak that I can’t even feel him slapping me.”

(Child writing on school desktop: “During the flu mouths must not be opened”)
The young man’s reason for not giving the teacher any answers to all his questions.

A jolly hospital

The observations that have now become familiar from the time of the influenza showed that the people who make beer and drink diligently were spared from it completely or nearly so.
In the event of the return of influenza or the arrival of a dear relative called “Rona”, the establishment of an “Imperial and Royal General Pilsner Beer Hospital” is recommended. Its director: Councillor Leopold Schmid, innkeeper in Griechengasse.
(Figaro, Vienna, 1890)

Roles exchanged

Teacher: “Greetings, dear colleague, how’s it going, lots to do?”
Physician: “Thanks, nothing now that the influenza is over.”
Teacher: “But that’s why we do! Oh, fortunate influenza times!”
(Figaro, Vienna, 1890)

New saint

“Saint Influenza, don’t bother about us!”
(Borsszem Jankó, Budapest, 1892)

By telephone

“How did you catch influenza without going out?”
“It must have been by telephone, where there are all kinds of maladies.”
(Le Charivari, Paris, 1890)

At a hospital

“Now I’m at my wit’s end! All the beds are occupied, all the walkways are occupied, and huge numbers of patients keep coming with this damned influenza!”
“What if we were to let it be publicized in the newspapers that influenza has just been stamped out?”
(Figaro, Vienna, 1890)

Of influenza

(clockwise from upper left)
1) “Uncle, Jasi’s uncle refused him money and died of influenza.”
“And he’s an ass!”
2) “Sir, and my rent?”
“I can’t speak with you today because I have influenza.”
3) “Either I’ll get a new hat or influenza tomorrow. What do you prefer?”
4) With influenza to the card game.
5) The surest way to forget about influenza!
6) “Will it be a boy or a girl?”
“It is… influenza!”

(Kolce, Warsaw, 1891)

Who’d have thought it?!!

(Punch, London, 1891)

Feverish

“What do you think about this awful influenza? Half of Vienna is confined to its bed.”
“It’s a pleasant ceasefire, madam! All of my creditors lie in feverish delirium, they imagine namely that I will repay them by the New Year.”
(Wiener Caricaturen, Vienna, 1890)

The whole world has the flu

The round of doctors and knobs.
(Le Grelot, France, 1890)

Diagnosis

(left) Professor: This is also a remarkable case of influenza. In the morning he ate dumplings with smoked meat, and in the evening he was already so weak that he broke money orders.
(right) Physician: OK, I’m prescribing you Salipyrin, the only remedy that helps with influenza.
Patient: Salipyrin, I’ve already taken that, but it was no use to me.
Physician: Then I’ll give you something else that is just as effective.
(Der Floh, Vienna, 1892)

Imagination

“… What, Mr. Brewmaster, you haven’t had influenza yet? Congratulations! … It’s strange that this disease affects the finer people; I’ve had it twice!”
(Fliegende Blätter, Munich, 1891) (redrawn and upped to “thrice” in Haagsche courant, 1898)

The Clouds by Aristophanes

Master Socrates was found at the school in a basket hanging in mid-air, in order to have no contact with the earth. Our teachers at the elementary schools of San Carlo are forced to do the same….. in order not to get a runny nose.
(Fasoulin, Pavia, 1889)

At the opera

“Sir, the third dancer has just gotten the flu. Couldn’t you take his place, since you are the patron of the little girl who dances with him?”
(Le Charivari, Paris, 1889)