Chapter Twelve

Health

There are numerous references in the Log Books to the state of the children’s health. In the nineteenth century and early twentieth century there are repeated accounts of epidemics. Scarlet fever was particularly feared. There was a bad out break of this in 1867. On the 4^th November Mrs. Cartwright wrote in the Girls’ Log ‘one of the fourth class girls, who was in attendance last week, died today of scarlet fever’. The next day she wrote ‘attendance poor on account of so many children being ill’ and shortly afterwards the Girls’ school was fumigated with ‘chlorides of lime and vitriol to prevent infection’. The Boys’ Log also refers to the fever in the village throughout November. Mr. Fowler wrote on 25^th November that there had been ‘several deaths in the village through the fever’. On the following day another child in the Girls’ department died of fever. The illness continued through December with many children away sick. There was a three-week holiday at Christmas, instead of two, owing to the epidemic. By January 1868 the fever seemed to be receding but we are told that some boys were ‘called away to be vaccinated’ at the end of January. There was to be further bad outbreaks of Scarlet Fever in 1882-83. On 17^th November 1882 about twenty boys were absent from the Boys’ Department through sickness and the Medical Officer of the district reported that two brothers had attended school ‘while a child lay dead of fever at home’. There was some disagreement as to whether or not the school should be closed. It was shut for one week in January 1883 but reopened when the Medical Officer said ‘it was unnecessary and undesirable to close’. There were to be further epidemics of Scarlet Fever. On occasion the school was also closed for some weeks due to outbreaks of measles and whooping cough. There are also references to smallpox, diphtheria, mumps and ringworm.

Teachers were not immune from illness. We know that Mr. Benson died of tuberculosis in his early 30’s in 1873 and Mr. Clark of an unknown illness when he was 40 in 1881.

As the twentieth century progressed the incidence and severity of epidemics decreased but the flu epidemic of 1918 is mentioned in the Log Books. The Boys’ Log records that the school was closed in July and November 1918 due to ‘the spread of influenza’.

Given the conditions in which many children lived with their often-inadequate clothing and food the extent of illness is not surprising. Nor were conditions in school always ideal. In addition to the repeated references to the cold in winter, in 1883 the Government Inspector complained that ‘the toilets were becoming ruinous and there were no proper urinals for 123 Junior and 71 Infant boys’

By the early twentieth century there were extensive efforts to improve the children’s health. There were regular medical examinations from 1908 onwards together with visits by an oculist and later dentist. From 1916 onwards, selected sick children were sent to the Open School in Malvern. Some payment had to be made for these children who were usually suffering from respiratory illnesses. In Malvern they were to have regular rests and plenty of fresh air. Nevertheless children continued to suffer and even die from illnesses that are now rare or unheard of. In the 1930’s at least two boys died of diphtheria.

Through greater understanding of child welfare during the latter half of the twentieth century the children’s health dramatically improved.