Typhus is a serious infectious disease caused by Rickettsia bacteria, typically transmitted to humans through lice or fleas. It has historically appeared in crowded, unsanitary conditions, such as prisons, refugee camps, or—as in Jane Eyre—poorly maintained institutions like Lowood School.

“Spring drew on: she was indeed already come; the frosts of winter had ceased; its snows were melted, its cutting winds ameliorated. April advanced to May: a bright, serene May it was; days of blue sky, placid sunshine, and soft western or southern gales filled up its duration.

This calm seemed to permeate nature and pervade the school; the lower schoolroom was sweet with the scent of flowers from the garden, yet a strange lightness possessed me... I was soon struck, however, by the contrast between the scenery of thriving vegetation and the deathlike stillness of the human beings around.

Many already smitten went home only to die: some died at the school, and were buried quietly and quickly. The school discipline relaxed, the classes were dispersed... The few who continued healthy were allowed almost unlimited licence; because the medical attendant insisted on the necessity of frequent exercise to keep off the contagion.”

Key Features of Typhus:

• Symptoms include:
  • Sudden high fever
  • Severe headache
  • Rash
  • Muscle pain
  • Chills
  • Delirium or confusion (in severe cases)
• Transmission:
  • The most common form in 19th-century England was epidemic typhus, transmitted by the body louse. Infected lice defecate on the skin, and the bacteria enter through scratching or broken skin.
• Prognosis:
  • Without treatment (antibiotics were not available until the 20th century), typhus had a high mortality rate, especially among the young, elderly, and malnourished.
• Historical Context in Jane Eyre:
  • The typhus outbreak at Lowood highlights the school’s neglect and unsanitary conditions.
  • The high death toll prompts public scrutiny and reforms.
  • It also serves as a narrative and moral turning point: the death of Helen Burns embodies Christian martyrdom, while the exposure of Brocklehurst’s mismanagement leads to institutional change.