Sisters tending to the Irish immigrants on the shore of Lake Ontario during the 1847 typhus epidemic. Circa 1945. Courtesy of the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph, St. Joseph Region Archives.
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Original JPEG File | 4895 × 3444 pixels (16.86 MP) 41.4 cm × 29.2 cm @ 300 PPI |
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Resource ID
10018
Access
Open
Credit Line
From the St. Joseph Region Archives of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph, Kingston, Ont.
Date of Creation
1945
Keywords
disease, healthcare, epidemic
Program Category
Education and Engagement
Rights
Public Domain
Caption
Sisters tending to the Irish immigrants on the shore of Lake Ontario during the 1847 typhus epidemic. Circa 1945. Courtesy of the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph, St. Joseph Region Archives.
Description
The 1847 typhus epidemic was one of the deadliest to strike Canada. Coinciding with a large migration of Irish newcomers to Canada, many contracted typhus while on board ships crossing the Atlantic. To stem the spread of disease, the Canadian government set up checkpoints to screen newcomers for diseases such as typhus. Those suffering from typhus were often placed in "fever tents", hastily constructed shelters to isolate and treat the ill. The above image depicts examples of 19th century fever tents in Kingston, Ontario. Similar tents would have been used in Toronto to treat typhus patients.