Virtual Exhibit:
The 1918 Influenza in Kawartha Lakes, part 1
The 1918 Influenza hit Lindsay mid-September, just about the same time as the Lindsay Central Exhibition, which happened to note record attendance on closing that year. Headlines and most of the pages were devoted to news of the war.
September 27, 1918 - October 19, 1918
On page seven of the September 27 edition of the Lindsay Post articles included both “Record Attendance on Closing Day of Central Exhibition” and “Spanish Influenza Hits Lindsay, Description of its Symptoms”.
Listed symptoms included “sudden onset with chills, severe headache, pains the in back and elsewhere, general malaise, flushed face, some soreness of the throat, and fever of from 101 deg to 104 deg. F with a rather slow pulse. Usually crisis has occurred after two or three days, with rapid and complete recovery. In many cases there has been a harsh cough with a scanty sputum; occasionally more severe bronchitis and even bronchopneumonia have developed but among the young and healthy there seem to have been no serious consequences, and no definite statements are made as to the death rate, which in any event thus far has been very low.”
This latter statement may have proven most deadly in this area since the majority of local victims were under the age of 30. In fact, what made the 1918 influenza strain different from the regular flu was its choice of victims: the young and healthy. (Canadian Encyclopedia)
Three weeks after the Post reported the flu had hit Lindsay, the local Medical Health Officer, Dr. McAlpine told the Post, “there was not a case of Spanish Influenza in Lindsay. The ordinary is grippe, which was quite common in the eighties and nineties, is prevalent.” (Lindsay Post, October 19, 1918) However, the MHO requested the closing of all schools and theatres—closures that lasted into November.
As can be seen from the list of deaths below, Dr. McAlpine’s statement was hopeful at best. Deaths due to pneumonia and/or influenza had been recorded during the four weeks prior to this statement.
Influenza Prevention
Appearing in the same column of the newspaper were instructions from a local druggist about how to prevent influenza, in which it’s interesting to see the similarities and differences given the advancement of modern medicine:
“Get a nasal atomizer from your druggist and an ounce or two of tincture of iodine. Mix two teaspoonsful of this and one teaspoonful of salt in a quart of warm water. Spray nose and throat with this night and morning.
Keep warm Keep out of crowds. Keep the bowels open. Eat and sleep well. Breathe fresh air.
To stop it— Go to bed immediately. Get a doctor as soon as you can. keep quiet. Keep warm. Keep the bowels open. Shut the doors. Open the windows. Notify the Board of Health.”
(Lindsay Post, Friday October 19, 1918.)
October 25, 1918
October 25th, the Post printed a telegram from the Provincial Health Officer to the Mayor of Lindsay, asking about the local influenza situation. The Mayor R. Kylie’s replies are posted here alongside the questions for easier reading:
How many cases of Spanish Influenza have you?
Between four hundred and five hundred.
Are they increasing in number?
No, but very severe.
Have you sufficient professional assistance of doctors and nurses?
Yes.
If not, what further assistance do you require?
No further assistance at present.
State fully, are you arranging to establish a branch of the newly organized Ontario Emergency Volunteer Health Auxiliary. Volunteer classes here have been most successful. Strongly recommend you to follow suit.
Not arranging to establish a branch of Emergency Volunteers.
If you require lecturer to help qualify your applicants we will provide one. Lectures already given to volunteer classes are printed in full in to-day’s Toronto papers. Recommend you to have considerable number of copies to instruct your volunteers.
Do not require lecturer at present.
Lindsay Post, October 25, 1918
Local Nurses Help Out
Cities like Toronto and Oshawa seemed to have been hit harder than Lindsay and area. Local nurses volunteered to help in Oshawa. The volunteers from the Voluntary Aid Detachment included Aileen Hughes, youngest daughter of Sir Sam Hughes.
Reports of the end of the epidemic
By November 9th, the Post was reporting the flu epidemic “knocked out”. The ban on churches, schools and theatres was lifted. The Post went on to admonish “exaggerated reports” of the number of cases and “seriousness of the epidemic and the number of deaths” because of the effect this had on businesses.
“Business men who suffered monetary losses during the epidemic naturally expect busy conditions, now that is has been stamped out, and those who were stampeded from visiting town as a result of the local situation, which, as stated above, was greatly magnified, are invited to come early and often, as the town is wide open and outside of the danger zone.”
However, the danger was not over. An outbreak happened at the end of November at the St. Joseph’s Academy, claiming the life of Sister St. Leonard and several students.
Two weeks later, the PHO warned of the impending second wave of infection.
Death Records
The total number of deaths due to the 1918 influenza is not known—not for Canada, Ontario, or Kawartha Lakes. Deaths in Ontario for the month of October were estimated at 3000, but it was also thought to be only half the true total. At the time, there was no requirement to report numbers of influenza and pneumonia cases to the Provincial Board of Health. Since laboratory testing of the virus did not exist, death records may not accurately report causes of death (“old age” is a common cause of death in this time period, but could be related to the influenza virus.)
The 1918 Kawartha Lakes (Victoria County) death records indicate influenza deaths may have been recorded only as pneumonia (or other causes), thereby reducing the overall “seriousness” of the epidemic. Here, we’ve gathered deaths where causes or factors leading to death were reported as pneumonia or influenza, listed in the following order:
Date of death - Name - Age - Cause - Place of Death
(Ancestry.com. Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
Ancestry.com/the-killer-flu-how-did-the-1918-pandemic-affect-your-family/
Sept. 19 - George Anderson - age 61 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct 1 - Margarette Fell - age 65 - pneumonia - Somerville Lot 13 Conc.1
Oct. 12 - Edward O’Neill - age 24 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 16 - Mary E. Clark - age 28 - broncho pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 17 - William John Scott - age 30 - influenza & pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 18 - Michael O’Neill - age 1 year - broncho pneumonia - Lindsay (son of Edward O’Neill d. Oct. 12)
Oct. 18 - Victoria Prout - age 53 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 19 - Basil Thomas Kingsley - age 27 - influenza - Lindsay
Oct. 19 - Clarence Pridham Bate - age 24 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 21 - Frederick William Routley - age 20 - pleurisy pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 23 - Mary Hall - age 50 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 24 - Georgina Henderson - age 39 - pneumonia - Bobcaygeon
Oct. 25 - Elizabeth Moody - age 24 - pneumonia - Bobcaygeon
Oct. 26 - Ada Alfreda Philips - age 34 - influenza - Coboconk
Oct. 27 - Mary Costello - age 58 - influenza & pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 27 - Rizpah Mabel Pratt - age 23 - pneumonia following influenza (nurse in training) - Lindsay
Oct. 28 - William John Copeland - age 20 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 28 - Florence May Arthur - age 19 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 29 - Louis Burke - age 22 - influenza - Lindsay
Oct. 29 - George Clark - age 30 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 30 - Suey Lan Lee - age 8 months - influenza - Lindsay
Oct. 30 - Clarence Sholer - age 21 months - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 30 - Arthur Fryer - age 17 years - pneumonia - Lindsay
Oct. 30 - Mary English - age 68 - pneumonia - Omemee
Oct. 31 - Fredrick William Herbert Forster - age 53 - influenza - Coboconk
Oct. 31 - Mary Groves - age 26 - pneumonia - Burnt River
Nov. 1 - Adeline Lamb - age 40 - influenza - Verulam
Nov. 2 - Arthur Bateman Graham - age 34 - pneumonia - Lindsay
Nov. 2 - Clarence Dean McKague - age 16 - pneumonia & influenza - Mariposa Lot 10 Conc. 13
Nov. 3 - William John Arnberg - age 29 - pneumonia - Bobcaygeon
Nov. 4 - Wilbert Switzer - age 14 - la grippe - Verulam
Nov. 6 - Lancelot Bruce Kelly - age 2 - pneumonia - Verulam
Nov. 9 - James Nesbitt - age 20 - pneumonia & influenza - Fenelon
Nov. 9 - Margaretta Hilda Cook - age 14 - influenza - Fenelon Falls
Nov. 11 - William Wesley Arscott - age 31 - pneumonia - Fenelon Falls
Nov. 14 - Cyrenus Flaherty - age 27 - influenza - Emily
Nov. 17 - Bertha Alma Lee - age 34 - influenza - Mariposa lot 15 Conc. 11
Nov. 23 - Viola Pearl Mark - age 6 - influenza - Valentia, Mariposa
Nov. 28 - Hazel Connor - age 20 - influenza & pneumonia - school teacher - Little Britain
Nov. 30 - Irene Gannon - age 13 - pneumonia - Lindsay (student at St. Joseph’s Academy)
Dec. 1 - Kathleen O’Reilly - age 18 - influenza & pneumonia - Lindsay
Dec. 1 - Bridget Enright (Sister St. Leonard) - age 40 - influenza (Sisters of St. Joseph)
Dec. 4 - Irene Elizabeth Lytle (Little) - age 16 - influenza & pneumonia - Lindsay (student at St. Joseph’s Academy)
Dec. 5 - Mary McDougal - age 16 - influenza & pneumonia - Lindsay
Dec. 10 - Aileen Murphy - age 19 - influenza - Ops
Dec. 14 - Rose Mary McGuire - age 44 - influenza & pneumonia - Ops
Dec. 18 - Margaretta Groves - age 19 - influenza - Verulam
Dec. 19 - Mary Isobel McEachern - age 19 - influenza - Eldon
Dec. 23 - Fanning Geach - age 36 - pleuro pneumonia - Lindsay
Dec. 26 - Charlie Cecil Cole - age 8 months - influenza - Lindsay
Dec. 28 - Virtal Gordon Porter - age 19 - pneumonia - Lindsay