Infectious Disease in History: The Fever Sheds

St. Patrick's Day is coming up, and I've been working on a number of articles about Irish migrations to North America. That inevitably brings up the subject of the Potato Famine, but contrary to what many of us believe a large number of Irish had already arrived in Canada well before the famine began.

Still, infectious disease was an issue for earlier waves of Irish migrants. The second cholera pandemic travelled from India and China into Russia, then on to France and across the Channel to England. Within weeks, it had spread to both Scotland and Ireland. The disease was not stopped by borders, changes in weather, or even quarantines.

Cholera was a recently discovered disease, fatal in 50% or more cases. And it had never been seen in the Western Hemisphere. The quarantine station at Grosse Île, Quebec was set up to deal with the threat of cholera in 1832. Despite the precautions taken here and abroad, the disease continued to spread. Thousands died in the fever sheds that were built when quarantine facilities at hospitals overflowed well beyond capacity.

During the years of the Great Famine typhus, also called "ship's fever," was the main culprit. The people leaving Ireland were already weakened from poverty and famine, and they were crowded into ships that were unfit for human transport. Many died during the long voyage across the Atlantic, and the French Canadians in Quebec are known for adopting the many Irish Catholic orphans whose parents perished before they reached North America.

Quarantines were again put into place in reaction to the typhus outbreak, but the facilities at Grosse Île were so overwhelmed that ships were sent on to Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto. Quarantines were enforced by the military, for fear the sick would escape and spread infection even further. Thousands upon thousands died, and were buried hastily in mass graves.

Somewhere between 3,500 and 6,000 bodies were buried in an unmarked grave at Windmill Point, near the Port of Montreal. When Irish labourers came to the area years later, a tent city was erected to house them during the building of the Victoria Bridge. The inhabitants of "Goose Village" (officially Victoriatown) discovered the grave, and placed a 30 ton stone on the site to commemorate the loss of their countrymen. The "Black Rock" monument is one of only three landmarks that was not destroyed when Goose Village was bulldozed in the 1960s.

This content is copyrighted. Please feel free to share by sending others a link to this page, or contact the author about purchasing reprint rights. Many thanks to Gilles Douaire for sharing his photo of the Black Rock, that we all might learn more of our heritage.

Autism and Down Syndrome in the News

Two special needs populations have been in the news over the last few weeks, each for a different reason. The never ending question of the link between autism and vaccines has still not been resolved despite the inability of scientists to duplicate results of the initial study published in the Lancet. More than six months after Andrew Wakefield's name was struck from the register of accredited physicians in the UK, there are still large numbers of people who stand behind his claim that MMR vaccines cause autism.

Extensive investigations undertaken by journalist Brian Deer reveal the whole truth behind the autism vaccine controversy, and the British Medical Journal is now publishing a series of articles written by Deer. This is much recommended reading, no matter what your stance on the role of vaccines in autism. This brief timeline of the autism vaccine controversy will help put things into perspective.

A blood test to screen for Down syndrome in the first trimester of pregnancy has been announced with much fanfare. Study authors claim the screening test could eliminate up to 98% of amniocentesis. The test has not yet been approved for clinical use, and is significantly more expensive than existing screening methods. It is also limited to detecting Down syndrome at the moment, though it seems logical the same technology could potentially be used to screen for other conditions in the future.

The test could mean earlier and safer screening for all pregnant women, not just those at higher risk. Universal screening, however, is not without its drawbacks. Some people fear doctors will take less care when it comes to informing women about their options, because a non-invasive screening is seen as routine compared to a procedure that could potentially cause miscarriage. Advocates for special needs populations also worry that earlier, safer testing could result in more women being pressured to abort fetuses found to have conditions such as Down syndrome.

There is no cure for either Down syndrome or autism, but people affected with these conditions can live long, happy, productive lives if given adequate support and education.