conditions, the Board requested that the foundations and drains were carefully examined, and cleaning, as necessary, was carried out. 7 As the College roll grew, so did the in-House epidemics. Boarders arriving from different parts of the country increased the possibility of infections concentrating in a single location. So, in 1887, the Board appointed a subcommittee “to consider how the difficulties with respect to infectious diseases in boarding Houses may best be remedied”. 8 There is no evidence that the subcommittees ever reported. In November 1891, The Headmaster, Francis Augustus Hare, again raised the question. This time, Messrs Kimbell, Neave and the Bursar were charged with consulting with “the leading medical men in Christchurch”. 9 Again, no action. Influenza “completely took possession of the school” in December 1892. Two members of staff, Mr Andrews and Mr Collins, were “victims of the prevailing epidemic” and several of the boys in the December 12 gymnastic display were “seriously handicapped owing to attacks of the influenza demon, who had been rife in the school for the previous fortnight, leaving its victims both weak and out of practice”. 10 Lionel James Wood (1384) – brother of Cecil Wilmot Wood (1438) (who was still at College) – died from influenza 11 and the Christ’s College Rifles private camp was postponed. 12 Finally, in February 1893, the Board came to a decision. Hare would be offered a stipend of £300 per annum, if he accepted the position of Chaplain and Assistant Master “on [the] understanding that such portion of the house as may be required for an infirmary for cases of serious infectious diseases among boarders can be used by the Governing Body
for that purposes”. 13 It was indeed fortuitous that the Bursar, Mr Worthy, and the Headmaster were charged with a report on the proposed expenditure for there was an outbreak of measles that decimated the Lower Forms and the Football teams, shortened the hours of work in the gymnasium, laid Mr Collins low and left Leonard Walter Blunden (1564, Blunden iv) with weak eyes. 14 Harold Ernest Blunden (1460, Blunden ii) had a slight attack of scarlet fever, “but owing to his prompt removal to the infirmary, the infection did not spread”. 15 The Form Lists for the rest of the 1890s parallel the references to absences in the Registers with coughs and sneezes. 16 It is not until December 1903 that there is another widespread in-House infection. This time it is mumps, with the resulting lack of boarders at prize- giving on commemoration day. Mumps reappeared in 1904. 17 The outbreak of scarlet fever in Flower’s House in September 1916 caused College to be closed. Ten boys and Assistant Master Harold Butler Lusk went into quarantine and Hare’s house came under the care of two nurses. The health authorities forbade dayboys from coming to school and School House boarders were allowed to go home or stay with friends for 10 days. They returned on 11 October, but on 28 October scarlet fever quarantined School House for 10 days. This time, Masters sent in work and returned it to them after it had been fumigated. 18 Hare’s house was again used in 1917 when four boys in the Lower School had to be isolated to prevent the whole College from being infected. 19 It is the Chapel Service Register that provides the clear evidence of the first bout of influenza that affected College in 1918. On 3 October, there were three Special Thanksgiving Services for the end of
7 ibid 8 Christ’s College Board Minutes 16 September 1887. 9 Christ’s College Board Minutes 18 November 1891. 10 Christ’s College Register December 1892 p39 and April 1893 p22.
11 Lyttelton Times 15 January 1892. 12 Lyttelton Times 23 January 1892. 13 Christ’s College Board Minutes 1 February 1893. 14 Christ’s College Register August 1893 p3 and December 1893 p41; Christ’s College Board Minutes 21 June 1893.
15 Christ’s College Register December 1893 p41. 16 Christ’s College Register August 1897 p6. 17 Christ’s College Register April 1904 p357. 18 Christ’s College Register December 1916 p412–3. 19 Christ’s College Board Minutes 12 October 1917.
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