Summer complaint usually happened in the warm months of July to September because more bacteria grew in the drinking water. Summer complaint was still a problem in St. John's in the 1930s in hot, dry summers. Adults could get sick from summer complaint, but they almost never died. It was different with children. When people vomit and have diarrhea, they lose water. If the body loses too much water, the person dies. Babies are so little that this can happen very quickly. Summer complaint killed many babies, especially in 1919, 1921 and 1937. Little James Henry Butt, the child whose mother made the sampler at the beginning of this booklet, died in September. He may have died of summer complaint.

Section Five
Voices from the Past

Today, it may be hard to imagine how people felt when so many children died and parents could not do anything to help. We can find out by looking at old letters and magazine articles written by people who were there.

Anna Smith, Trinity, 1860s
Anna (Annie) Smith was the daughter of the Reverend Benjamin Smith, an Anglican minister in Trinity, Trinity Bay in the 1860s. She was 21 when she wrote this letter to her older brother Walter. Two of their younger brothers had just died of diphtheria. Arthur Herbert (Hebe) was eight years old. The boy she writes about in this letter, Warwick, was just four.

December 18, 1861

My Own Beloved Brother,

This morning the "Alert" brought us your dear letters.. .We do indeed feel the loss of both the darling little ones very much indeed. Our own little affectionate dear one almost more than dear little Hebe...

The last thing he held in his little hands for any length of time was an apple. On Sunday morning he had one but couldn't eat it until Monday night. He kept it in his dear little hands. If it chanced to fall while he was dozing he asked for it directly [when] he woke. Oh! I am so glad you sent them. He was so delighted...