During 1918–19, a global influenza epidemic killed millions of people, including some 50,000 Canadians. At the height of the epidemic, King Edward High School served as a hospital for several months.

 

The following excerpts, from Vancouver School Board medical reports sent to the BC Ministry of Education, are a study in contrast. The December 1917 reports focus on efforts to create healthy physical environments in schools, provide vaccination programs and other medical services to students to protect their personal health, and give instruction in first aid. The January 1919 reports are preoccupied with the impact of the global influenza epidemic on Vancouver public schools. The epidemic began in February 1918 and persisted for more that a year.

 

DECEMBER 31st, 1917.

S. Gordon, Esq., Municipal Inspector of Schools, Vancouver, B.C.

Dear Sir,

The following is the Report on Medical Inspection for the year ending December 31st, 1917. The year has been one of outstanding importance in connection with the work done by the medical department.

It has been with gratification that this department has noted the efforts which have been made by the School Board towards bettering the ventilation of our schools. Many improvements have been made, and the Board are requesting the public to vote sufficient money to complete these improvements. There is no doubt that the public will support this by-law, for it concerns itself with the health and the very life of our children.

Last April the Board appointed Dr. Margaret P. Hogg, an experienced and an efficient worker, as one of the assistant School Medical Officers. With her appointment it was decided to have all the girls examined by the two lady doctors. This method has now had a nine-month’ trial and is working very satisfactorily, though it takes somewhat longer than the method of having the doctor examine both sexes.

In January, 1917, the “Little Mothers’ League” was inaugurated in five of our schools. This is really a course for public school girls, but a continuation of this work in the high schools, in the form of lectures on First Aid, and Personal and Public Health, would be worthwhile. In this connection I might refer to the fact that in the better universities it is compulsory for students of the first year, men and women, to take a similar course.

The Board, at its last meeting in November, empowered the Management Committee to take the necessary action to start an Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in connection with this department, providing satisfactory arrangements could be made with the General Hospital for the care of the cases sent there. This is a great step forward—probably the most important and far-reaching advance yet made in Canada in connection with the school medical services…

The value of the open-air class has been conclusively proven. It works wonders in restoring the thin, the anaemic, and the delicate child to health. The good results are more marked when a hot lunch is served. The Rotary Club are to make provision for an open-air class for tubercular children, in connection with their new Health Clinic Building on Cambie Street. This location for an open-air class is not ideal. The School Board requires an open-air class, not for the tuberculosis, but for those who are poorly nourished, weakly and anaemic, to prevent them from becoming tuberculosis. This subject has been under consideration at different times; it is to be hoped that some definite action may be taken during 1918.

Out of the 12,469 children examined, only 2,798 — 22.43 per cent.—have been vaccinated. Each year the percentage of vaccinations gets smaller. Up to this year Vancouver has been very ‘free from small-pox; the cases occurring being very mild. This year, however, we have had ten cases, three of these dying. Only the prompt and, effective action of the City Health Department prevented an epidemic, with 30 percent of deaths. Vancouver, being a seaport, is in constant danger from this disease, particularly now that war conditions have increased the number of Orientals passing through this port. Next time we may not be so Iucky. Therefore, in the interest of our city, I would recommend that the School Board require that all children entering school for the first time, either produce evidence of successful vaccination, or get vaccinated unless the parents have conscientious objections, when they should be required to go before a magistrate…

 

REPORT OF SCHOOL NURSING STAFF

Vancouver, B.C. December 31^st, 1917

Dr. F. W. Brydone-Jack, School Medical Officer, Vancouver, B. C.

Dear Sir,

I beg to submit the Annual Report of the School Nursing Service for the year ending December 31st, 1917.

The past year has seen a notable extension in the activities of this service.

In January, owing largely to the interest of the Chairman of the School Board, and the University Women’s Club, “Little Mothers’ Leagues” were formed in four of the public schools of the city. It was planned that these Leagues should be for public school girl only, but a request being received from the Britannia High School for this course, four classes were organized there, making eight classes in all. These Leagues take the form of classes in Child Welfare and are conducted by the school nurses, each course consisting of nineteen lectures. Over four hundred girls enrolled for this work, one hundred and one receiving diplomas at the end of the course. Prizes were given, in each class, for the best essay on “Child Welfare,” the women doctors of our staff acting as judges… These classes were most enthusiastically received, and the work is being continued this winter in five classes— four in the public schools and one in the Britannia High School. All equipment for these classes was provided by the University Women’s Club.

Britannia High School, 1920

 

This fall, the Britannia High School girls asked for lectures in first Aid and Home Nursing, one hundred and ninety-seven registering as desirous of taking this course. At first it seemed impossible for the nursing staff to undertake any more work, but feeling that a request of this kind should be granted, it was finally arranged with the generous assistance of the women doctors of our staff to have four classes of eight lessons each, the nurses giving four lessons and the doctors four in each class. The first two of these classes are now nearing completion; on their termination the others will be started. This is a very instructive and useful course of lectures, and one which should prove of lasting and practical value to the students: These classes are held after school, but in some of the cities of the United States and England they are included in the curriculum.

The inauguration of dental inspection in the schools added largely to the work of the nursing staff, entailing, as it did, the attendance of a nurse with the dentist two mornings of the week for two months, as well as the additional amount of clerical work in preparing lists and sending out notices as the result of his visits.

We have endeavoured to make the school clinic, where minor contagious diseases and ailments of poor children are treated, a greater factor in the saving of school time than ever before. One thousand six hundred and sixteen cases were treated in the school clinic during the year. The treatment of these children in school means an immense saving of school time, as many are thus enabled to remain in school who otherwise would have to be excluded. The early recognition and treatment of various ailments prevent a more serious condition developing and so conserve school time. The appointment of an additional nurse to the staff last spring has been a great help, as otherwise it would have been impossible to give the schools the frequent visits necessary to snake this service of real value.

It is a great satisfaction to the nursing staff that the supplying of glasses for needy children has been undertaken by the School Board. For the past three years these have been supplied by the Vancouver Schools Relief Association, but we feel that it has now come under the proper authorities. Twenty-nine pairs of glasses have been supplied during the year.

The assurance received from the Board, that the necessary surgical appliances for the correction of deformities would be provided for needy cases, has also been a great encouragement to the school nurses, as it meets a long felt want.

The staff wish to acknowledge most gratefully the help given by the specialists of the- city. At all times the requests of the nurses for free treatment for needy cases, have been most kindly acceded to, and this hearty co-operation has been an inestimable help to the nurses in their work…

The splendid co-operation of the teaching staff throughout the city, their watchfulness and promptness in referring children to us, has been a great factor in increasing our value in the school, and has much appreciated by each member of the staff.

 

………………………..

 

CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS

January 08, 1919

W. H. Lang, Chairman of the Board

This year has been unique in respect to sickness among our school population. Even before the outbreak of the influenza epidemic, the teachers’ substitute pay-roll averaged nearly double what was reached in previous years. This was due to the prevalence of infectious diseases, in spite of every effort on the epart of the City Health Department and our School Medical Department to stamp out these diseases…

Later in the year, the influenza epidemic began to sweep the city, and many teachers and pupils contracted the disease, and the attendance being unsatisfactory, partly owing to the fear of the disease, it was considered wise by the Medical Department and the Board, after conference with the City Health Deaprtment and City Council, to close the schools, which was done on October 18th. They were re-opened on December 2nd, when the had considerably abated.

The Board wishes here to again express its high appreciationof the services rended the sick during this severe and fatal epidemic  by the school doctors and nurses, teachers and officers, some of whom gave their lives in this noble work. Among these latter we would mention with sorrow the names of Miss Ruth Luno, Miss A. R. Rines, Miss P.A Green, Miss g. I. Ward, and Mr. R.F. Coldwell.

Two schools, the Strathcona, and King Edward High, were offered by the School Board to the city to be used as temporary hospitals for influenza cases. These were readily accepted and proved very useful in that they accommodated many hundreds of cases. The KIng Edward High School was under the direction of our own Medical departmkent, and was personally in charge of Dr. Wigthtman, chief medical officer, and his assistants, Nurse Breeze and her assistants. This epidemic has affected our schools very materially, both as regards attendance and progress of study.

 

MEDICAL INSPECTION

Vancouver, B. C., January 8, 1919.

S. Gordon, Esq., Municipal Inspector of Schools, Vancouver, B. C.

Dear Sir,

The following is the report on Medical Inspection of Schools for the year ending December 31st, 1918.

We have endeavored to continue the medical inspections on lines similar to those of last year. Our progress, however, was arrested by the epidemic of influenza, which broke out in the city early in the fall term, the schools being closed from October 18th until December 2nd. During this period the medical and nursing staff devoted their energies to the care and treatment of influenza patients at the King Edward High School, which was converted into an emergency hospital during the height of the epidemic.

In September it was found necessary to increase our staff by the addition of two nurses. This was necessitated by the increased number of children enrolled compared with that of the previous year, and also by the fact that the staff as it existed was unable to cover all the work in 1917-1918. We greatly appreciate the assistance given us in the discharge of our duties, by the different members of the School Board, the principals, teachers and janitors. They were courteous at all times, and their co-operation was appreciated by us all.

 

Follow this link to learn more about “Little Mothers’ Leagues”:

https://daily.jstor.org/to-reduce-infant-mortality-train-the-babysitters/