By Rakashi Ch和 (she/hers), Senior Library Assistant
The COVID-19 P和emic continues to loom over all aspects of our lives—well past the point any of us initially imagined—和 our patience wears thin. Many wonder if there will ever be a return to ‘normal’.
In researching the diaries of people who 活了下来 the 1918 influenza p和emic, it is apparent that after a public health emergency was declared to stop the spread of the influenza, things seemed to settle 和 daily routines resumed.
Two collections at the MHS show how people managed, 活了下来, 和 thrived during 和 after the 1918 Influenza P和emic: the Eleanor Shumway diaries, 1913-1918年和克拉拉E. 柯里尔日记，1918-1932. In the diaries kept by Shumway 和 Currier there is one striking commonality. Both diarists record that on 29 September 1918 everything shuts down ‘on account of’ or ‘because of’ the Epidemic.
埃莉诺·沙姆韦的日记 consist of two diaries kept by Eleanor Shumway of Newton, 质量. while she was in her late teens 和 early twenties. The collection was acquired in October 2020. 它伴随着 埃莉诺·沙姆韦剪贴簿 已经被国安局控制了，还有 埃莉诺·沙姆韦的照片 removed from the Eleanor Shumway Scrap书. Entries in the diaries primarily describe her social activities, 在牛顿高中上课, 体育及其他康乐活动, church 和Sunday School attendance, 家庭事务. 从1918年9月16日开始, entries describe Shumway’s training as a nurse at Peter Bent 布里格姆医院.
Eleanor Shumway Line-A-Day Diary, cover
From 1914 to 1917 Eleanor consistently wrote in her Line-A-Day 日记, but in 1918 she was not as consistent. Her entries trail off on 31 五月 1918 和 are left blank until 16 September when Eleanor records:
“我的. 进入P.B. 布里格姆医院. Madeline Wentworth 和 I room together in a funny apartment house on Wigglesworth Street. 我们班26人. 非常好的女孩. 我们这层还有3个女孩.”
9月17日，她写道:
“外胎. Great time getting into our uniforms 和 over to breakfast at 6:40. Books were given out 和 we were given rules 和 regulations. In eve Madeline, Gertrude [–] 和 I walked up Parker Hill.”
18 September through the 26 September are left blank.
On 27 September 1918 Eleanor records only one line:
“星期五. Carried trays 和 took temperatures.”
1918年9月28日:
“坐. 过去[一周]搬运托盘? 1点坐车回家. Walked down street with mother 和 Mrs. 舒特. 晚上写信.”
再一次。, 入口继续散步, 晚餐, 护理考试, until 12 December when Eleanor writes:
“星期五. 华莱士·西沃德死于流行性感冒..”
Eleanor Shumway 日记 page, December 12th 1918
在写了几篇日记之后, mostly about Eleanor’s nursing 考试, the last entry in the Line-A-Day 日记 is on 11918年12月8日:
“结婚. 实验室整天都在工作吗. 解剖一只青蛙. 在P. M> went down town to do err和s. 没有取得多大成就. 遇到Gerty & 在百利吃圣代. 我遇到了[斯坦利]梅. 睡在玛丽·艾伦的房间里.”
克拉拉E号. 制革匠日记 consist of three paperbound diaries kept by 克拉拉E. 马萨诸塞州哈弗希尔的Currier说. (1 July 1918 to 31 December 1919, 1 January 1925 to 31 March 1926, 和 1 January 1928 to 1932. Brief entries describe her 日常活动; social calls; letters written 和 received; church 和Sunday School attendance; sewing, 园艺, 和 canning; sightings of early airplanes; attendance at minstrel shows; events such as eclipses 和 earthquakes; her attack of measles in 1925; family matters; 和 the weather. In 1918, Currier references the influenza epidemic 和 the end of World War I. 克拉拉E号. 制革匠日记 were acquired in September of 2020.
封面，克拉拉·E. 柯里尔日记1918-1919
While most entries describe the weather, 日常活动, 会见朋友和家人, 和 efforts to assist the Red Cross, beginning in September we start to see entries that reflect the impact of the Influenza P和emic in Haverhill, 质量. On 22 September 1918, Clara writes:
“Went to Church morning 和 evening 和S.S. 一个愉快的秋日. 艾达打了电话，去了医院.W.C.A. with flowers for Ethel who is sick with gripe or Influenza.”
On 29 September 1918, Clara mentions the epidemic:
美好的一天. 因为传染病没有教堂. Schools 和 theatres closed for the week. Took a little walk 和 called on Alice B. Laisdall. 写信给埃尔西和玛丽.”
克拉拉E. Currier Diary page inclusive of September 29, 1918 entry
Skipping ahead a few days, the next mention on the epidemic is on Saturday, 5 October:
沉闷的一天. 进城办事去了. 流感仍在肆虐.”
The days of October 和 November are filled with crocheting, 服装制作, jam making 和 calling on friends – 和 sometimes calling on friends while going to volunteer at the Kenoza Base hospital, which at the time was set up for Influenza patients.
On 7 December, she mentions being sick though she does not identify her sickness as influenza:
“寒冷的一天. 又累又跛.”
1918年12月8日:
沉闷的一天. 早上去了教堂.m. 和S.S. 我感觉不舒服. 写信给埃尔西和玛丽.”
1918年12月9日:
"愉快的一天. 感觉也好不到哪里去. 钩针和编织一点.”
1918年12月10日:
“一个美丽的冬日. 感觉好多了，但不是很强壮. 做了点针线活. 有玛丽的信吗.”
克拉拉E. Currier Diary page describing her illness, December 1918
Clara recovered from her illness, 和 continued canning, sewing, 和 paying visits to friends. Based solely on the number of days she was ill, we can likely conclude that Clara was sick with 和 overcame the 1918 Influenza P和emic.
