Small and special

Welcome to Small and Special

Small and Special is a collection of resources relating to the early years of The Hospital for Sick Children at Great Ormond Street, England’s first in-patient children’s hospital. Here you can trace a patient, learn about childhood diseases, or investigate a member of the medical staff.

Small and Special includes a database of patient admission records - from the Hospital’s first in-patient in 1852 to the last admission in 1914; a collection of articles on the early history of the Hospital and pen-portraits of the Hospital’s personalities; and a gallery of images.

Browse around the site to discover its treasures. Better still, register now. It costs nothing, and registered users get access to more detailed information and the ability to print and download results of searches.

New website (HHARP.ORG) and two additional hospitals coming soon

Rebecca Novis

Rebecca Novis was nine when she was admitted to the Hospital on the 17th April 1871. She lived in nearby Canonbury. Her symptoms included a refusal to speak, move or open her eyes for four months. The doctors were curious about her condition and lavished much attention on her. Her treatment included electrotherapy, which seemed to persuade her to speak. She was discharged at the end of May, but readmitted with a recurrence of the symptoms on 3rd July, for ten days, after which she was sent to convalesce at Cromwell House. To learn more about Rebecca’s condition click here.