The Russian flu pandemic in the Balearic Islands (1889-1892)

The so-called Russian flu pandemic, which affected different European countries from November 1889, reached the Balearic Islands in the last days of the year. The first cases were linked to the Palma customs office. The doctors of the time pointed out that half of the population fell ill, generally presenting mild clinical symptoms. However, the epidemic did not produce a significant increase in the crude mortality rates in the Balearic Islands or in any of the three main capitals we have studied. We note that the absence of deaths could be due to the advanced demographic transition in Mallorca.