Elisabeth Bruyère and the 1847 Typhus Epidemic - Ottawa, Ontario - Artistically Decorated Utility Boxes on Waymarking.com

Sister Elizabeth Bruyere has a lit candle in her right hand and is making the rounds of the hospital ward to check on the patients and ensure that everyone who requires assistance or medical attention before going to bed for the night are properly attended to.

Elisabeth Bruyère and the 1847 Typhus Epidemic

The original buildings completed between 1847-49 were located between Cathcart Street and Bolton Street (now Bruyère Street). It was here that Bruyère and the Sisters worked tirelessly to save lives during the typhus outbreak in 1847.

The typhus epidemic of 1847 was brought about by the massive influx of Irish immigrants who came on disease ridden ships fleeing famine in their motherland. The Sisters of Charity devoted themselves to building barracks to house the sick and to provide for them essential services and care.

Bruyère and the Sisters treated hundreds of patients with virtually no assistance. The mental and physical strain on the Sisters caused many to fall ill themselves, including Bruyère. She writes about the hardships they faced in one of her letters:

The Sisters are starting to feel exhausted. I do not know if they can hold out, being so few and receiving help from no one, especially to sit up at night –Sr E. Bruyère. – July 9th, 1847

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Title of the Art: Elisabeth Bruyere and the 1847 Typhus Epidemic Year Decorated: 2019 Name of Artist: Not listed

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