As the coronavirus becomes an ever-increasing discussion in our daily lives let us consider how Hampton in the past hunkered down to wait out the passing of epidemics and pandemics before the age of Wi-Fi, TV and “social distancing” and who was it who took care of the sick.
The doctors of Hampton played a key role in the community at all times but especially during a medical crisis; a broken bone, accident, mysterious death, pandemic outbreak, they would bring the needed comfort and confidence to those in distress.
Ill-equipped, with just his medical bag, no Spectra Shield Respirator mask from Foss Manufacturing, no Purell, special drugs, antibiotics, or even toilet paper (TP was invented in 1857 but was expensive so people preferred the Sears and Roebuck catalogue, a corn cob or a linen cloth), the doctor would enter the patient’s home to see if he could evaluate and help. He might have some Laudanum in his bag to ease the pain but not much more. At the end of the day, he would water his horse at the town pump on Exeter Road and perhaps finally wash his hands, minus soap and hot water, after a busy day. He would have probably visited with 50 patients in a day.
Dressed in a suit, tie and hat, Dr. Marvin Fisher Smith drove his buggy on the unpaved roads of Hampton to reach out to his patients. He came to Hampton in 1888 and died in 1916 before the Spanish flu pandemic hit Hampton and the world; but he would witness and administer to the Diphtheria epidemic of 1890-91 that closed schools, churches and meetings to contain the disease. He would come down with the disease himself but recover, later campaigning for vaccinations against disease. Through his efforts, Hampton preschools were inoculated as an annual ritual of preventative medicine.
In March of 1918, the Spanish flu pandemic hit the town of Hampton. Throughout the spring and summer cases of the flu were intermittent with no reported deaths but by Oct. 10, health officer Frank Long postponed all public meetings including schools, churches, and organizations with a large membership. There were a reported 200 people who became sick, many died in the town and beach. For most, the disease would last three days and deaths were usually from secondary infections like pneumonia. The well-liked pharmacist Victor G. Garland succumbed at 27 to the influenza after a heroic struggle, so too did Lottie Mace Reilly, George Storrow Ireland, and Mr. Warren M. Batchelder.
The Hampton Union reported that “the epidemic of influenza seems to be under control.” The ban on public meeting will be lifted on October 28, 1918.”
At this time, Dr. E. Henry Thompson and Dr. Stanley M. Ward were the horse and buggy doctors of Hampton. There were two nurses hired by the town to assist the doctors during the flu pandemic.
As the flu pandemic raged in 1918, Hampton had a population of about 1250 people, the automobile was just beginning to share the roads with the horse and buggy, men and women were traveling around the country and to Italy and France to help with the war effort, and although the railroad did bring outsiders to the community there were not so many worldwide connections as there are today.
In Hampton 2020, the population is approximately 14,000. We are connected to the world and our borders are open, for the most part to all. We travel worldwide and love to meet in large numbers to cheer on our sports teams. We are a social body of people who like to shake hands and have close connections with each other.
A pandemic virus moves, silently and quickly. This one, coronavirus, targets the elderly and compromised. The Diphtheria epidemic and Spanish flu pandemic tended to attack the young but in the long run viruses do not discriminate.
In 1918, closures in the town lasted only a few weeks. A year later the town was celebrating the end of the war with large gatherings and parades to celebrate the end of WW1.
We too will weather this medical emergency as a community with the help of doctors, medicine, good decisions by our leaders and all of us doing our part.
We learn from the past that history does matter and although we are experiencing this trial under different circumstances from the pandemics and epidemics of the past, we as they were, are all in this together.
Take the time to evaluate for the future. Help others that are in need and be kind to each other.
If you wish to watch the video “Hampton Voices from WW1” that documents a section about the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, visit www.hamptonhistoricalsociety.org to view the video on YouTube.