The year 1891 seemed a very mixed year. Dr. Hardwicke resigned Dr. Robinson was appointed on a salary of £100 per annum. Extra payment would be given for midwifery. Dr. Robinson had been a surgeon at Swansea General Hospital. One influenza epidemic after another loomed over the Town. Rev Tebbutt complained that the wealthy could not find a nurse for love or money and the working classes often had to do their best as often relatives and neighbours had all been attacked by the flu. The epidemic put great strain on all of Rotherham's hospitals.
The Influenza epidemic didn't tint the excitement of a Royal visit, as the Prince and Princess of Wales officially opened Clifton Park and patients no matter how ill they were, they did their best to celebrate this great occasion.
As the dark, cold winter nights of November drew in, a total of 288 cases had occurred all over Rotherham, Thrybergh and Rawmarsh as well as other areas that had reported cases. By the end of a year of typhoid and influenza epidemics the Workhouse had a bad measles outbreak among the children. The children were being kept away from school and fresh cases were being reported every day. Eighteen of the children were so ill they had been admitted into the hospital and the others had been isolated within the workhouse.
© Neil and Janet Croft 2005