What disease might this be???!

[Tuscany]

Penicillin was discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming in 1929 and used extensively in WW2.

Back in the days when people were less medically informed there was a great deal of stigma attached to having smallpox and TB, both being regarded as 'dirty' diseases, which is of course absolute rubbish.

[pippalew]

All this info is much appreciated! I am pretty sure it wasn't smallpox having googled the symptoms and seen the scarring that it leaves. My photo of her in hospital shows her looking very healthy if thin.  None of the women in the picture look like they have smallpox. There could be answers to that though! Like the women not wanting to be photographed while looking ill!

Thanks again, all of you. Cheers, Pippa

[Tuscany]

At least all the info is helping to whittle it down.  Smallpox was around for centuries before the present times.  You say all the women looked very thin, that is probably the biggest indicator that it was TB and the isolation period was sometimes many months.  Sadly it had a dreadful stigma attached to it.

 I remember someone, who lived in the same road when I was a child, and the father was diagnosed with it,  my mother was horrified and forbade me to have anything to do with them.  It was a decent country neighbourhood and the family were very 'right and proper', churchgoers, and all the boys went to university, but they were virtually ostracised through ignorance. 

Thank heavens knowledge has rid us of all these stupid behaviours.

I expect grandmother was so mortified by having TB and a tropical disease sounds rather glamourous. 

Have you had a look for the institution to see if the records are available.  I haven't got a clue but someone will know.

[pippalew]

Just asked my mum what she knew about it and she said this: Granny was wasting away and no-one could figure out what was making her thin and ill. Then a blood sample went to a Liverpool hospital for tropical diseases. They said it was something she got from eating imported food??? Possibly dates.

Does this make sense to anyone, or does it sound even more like an elaborate tall story?!  Granny was wheeled out in her bed to spend the days on the verandah...still sounds like TB to me. When she finally came home she was in bed for months.

I will look for possible hospitals but i think it may be that I never know for sure! Cheers, Pippa

[Gragareth]

There are diseases named Topical Diseases.  Enter in Google etc.
However your last mail may discount the above.
Gragareth.

[Tuscany]

Pippa

We have an ex isolation hospital about five minutes down the road from us and I remember the last few times it was used.  What you  said your Mum remembered about her being wheeled out on to the veranda and the weight loss virtually confirms the suspicion that it was TB.  The cure was rest, good food and fresh air and don't forget TB wasn't confined to this country. 

If you know where the hospital was, or better still the name, try entering it and see what comes up, you may even find out where the records are held.

Good luck

[pippalew]

Yes, thanks so much for all your help. I am sticking to my suspicion that it was TB. I will now look for records from hospitals in LPool. Cheers, Pippa!

[manmack]

pippa,in the late 50s there was an outbreak of smallpox caused by cornbeef imported from argentina,mack

[frenchdressing]

Pippa,
I had a friend from Leigh (which isn't far from Salford) who  had TB in the late 50's. He was kept in isolation then sent to a convalescent home in West Kirby, Wirral (to get the fresh air and sea breeze which obviously one didn't get round the Leigh area.). Maybe your gran was sent to a similar place. There was another one near Wrightington but I can't remeber the name.
Pat