Handwriting decipher

[hannah101]

I have a medical record that I can just about read page one but second and 3rd are proving difficult for me. If anyone is willing and has the time to decipher I would be most grateful. It is 3 pages of a4 long though.

Jorose very kindly found this record for Adeline for me 
 https://wellcomecollection.org/works/xp9j8r66/items?canvas=714

[Neale1961]

Hannah, If you post what you have transcribed, others may be able to add to the places you have missed.

There are a few spots where the hand writing changes and is a bit more difficult to read (but not impossible) , but most of it is the same reasonable clear hand as on page 1.

[Zefiro]

I've done page 2. Feel free to complete or change my text. Between (...) is the name of the one writing down her condition. It looks like H. Rawes.

Family Mother living ætatis 76. Father died heart disease ætatis 64. Has 6 sisters & 1 brother all
healthy. Mother's brother died of Phthisis. No ..., insanity or epilepsy.
Personal Has been engaged in sick nursing for some years & was at work till 8
weeks ago. Has never had robust health. In Temperance Hospital 8 years ago with
"spinal complaint" supposed at first to be an abscess, but subsequently found to be
probably hysterical. In Westminster Hospital 3 years ago - same cause. Has twice had
aphonia of nervous origin. Paralysis of right arm began 3 years ago with
pain & developed gradually. Has never had full use of it since.
Had an operation (nature unknown) on an ear in University College Hospital 13 years ago.
Apparently never very strong mentally and considered "clever". Subject
to hysterical attacks. A fortnight ago had what appears to have been a
"hysterical fit": legs jerking, contractions of muscles of back + neck. Incontinence
of urine, but not of fæces. Couldn't swallow & rectal feeding was
resorted to. She afterwards cried a great deal, became incoherent.
Asserted she had had twins, that her mother was dead. Would
not take food until God told her to do so. Said the room was
polluted. Restless and wandered about. Menstruation 3 weeks ago.
Sleeping badly & then only by draughts. Has lived a great deal
alone and away from relatives.
Condition on admission In very feeble health and thinly nourished.
Very pale, face drawn, pupils equal - widely dilated. Teeth many
decayed. Tongue thickly coated. Breath foul. Bowels constipated.
Nothing abnormal discovered in abdomen. Heart sounds very feeble to
bruit. Lungs appear to be clear. Knee jerks equal but very ...
No foot .... Plantar reflexes present. Right forearm is paralyzed
with contraction of fingers & thumb: wasting of interosseous muscles.
Degenerative changes in nails. Joints of fingers stiff from disuse.
Urine dark, cloudy SG 1035 Acid. No albumin deficit ....
Mental Rambling, incoherent almost unintelligible. She obviously
hears voices, keeps turning her head & replying to imaginary
people saying such things as "Yes Mother ", "I know". Takes hold
of the bed clothes & says there is a baby there. She is extremely
restless, tries constantly to get out of bed and wander
about. Takes food and sleeps badly. (...)
August 8  To Cin L Mania. She is rambling incoherent and
almost unintelligible. She hears voices & holds conversations with
imaginary people. Asserts that there is a baby on the bed. Is
extremely restless and takes food badly. Is in bad health
and very thinly nourished. Right arm is paralyzed. (...)
August 12 In a state bordering on wandering delirium. Requires constant
attention as she is continually trying to get out bed. Has to
be fed with feeder. Pulse week. Brandy ... per diem. (...)

[Zefiro]

First paragraphs of page 3. I reckon the rest of the writing is 'easier', so I'm not transcribing that.
However don't hesitate to ask if some words are hard to read.

August 19 No mental change. Extremely restless, tries to get out bed, sleeps very
little. Pulse fair, physical state is slightly better. (...)
August 25 Is taking food better & beginning to show improvement, but has
hallucinations of hearing. Is quieter & only occasionally out of bed. (...)
August 30 Now able to set up in the ward, & is improving. (...)
September 4 To Cin L Mania. She is much quieter and shows some
improvement. She is mentally confused and hears voices. Cannot carry
on a conversation or ... herself. Sleeps badly. Poor health & thinly nourished. (...)

[hannah101]

Thank you so much for doing this. Not only was it long but it's uncomfortable reading so I really do appreciate that. Going to give page 3 another go and see how I get on with fresh eyes.

[Zefiro]

This is the rest of page 3. You can compare it with your transcription.

September 18 Stands gazing out of the window at the sky & says she sees
things, but what things I cannot ascertain. She is at times very
restless and always extremely resistive. Health very poor.
October 11 She is quite unaltered. Cannot be got to speak except a
whispered word or two that it is impossible to make out. She
has to be fed always by the nurses and is very resistive. She is
breathing deeply & noisily this evening. Her temperature is normal
and I can make out no abnormal sounds in her chest. I cannot
get her to speak. She is sitting still & is for the time less resistive.
Her bodily health is poor.
October 20 Today patient was somewhat cyanosed, breathing noisily & with
difficulty, & had a raised temperature. She was put to bed in the E wing.
I listened to her chest. Breath sounds were noisy on inspiration & expiration
over the left base. Otherwise normal temperature in evening 102°.
October 22 Patient still in bed with morning & evening temperatures about 102°.
She has slight congestion of bases but is improving.
October 27 She still has a slightly raised temperature but is better.
November 1 Temperature has been normal since October 29th evening. She is
up today but is feeble.
November 21 She has been as usual since last notes. She is very feeble and apt to
fall. Yesterday morning she was reported to have diarrhoea, having had
several loose motions. She was ordered an enema which she had in the
evening & was found to be constipated.
November 24 Has appeared very feeble for the last two days & been in bed. She
has a small scabbed sore over her left trochanter which she picks.
She has no rise of temperature. Has to be fed by a nurse.
November 27 Continues just the same. Has some rise of temperature at night. Is
very feeble.
December 1 Was moved today into the E ward into the infirmary. She has some fine
crepitations & harsh breathing at the right apex. When she is fed by the
nurse she is resistive & coughs a good deal.
December 6 She is fed by a nasal tube three times a day. Feeding is easy and
is not accompanied by any spasm. Her temperature is up every evening.
She sweats much, especially about the feet. When anything has to be

[Zefiro]

page 4

done for her she is very resistive and stiffens herself out. Bowels regular.
Every now & then she coughs and the cough is sometimes accompanied
by a most offensive smell which fills the room. There is no sputum
with the cough.
1906 January 1 Still fed twice in the day and once at night by nasal tube. Is in bed
& has been, since last notes. Has signs of phthisis at right apex. Back examined
this morning. No signs now of any sore or excoriation on back, buttocks or hips, nor
any broken skin.
12 January Is now fed twice during the day and once at 8 pm.
Her pulse is feeble during the early hours of the morning but better
than it was. She never speaks and is very thin & feeble.
1 February Has slightly improved and shakes hands after being fed. She appears
inclined to take her food again by herself.
February 20 Is taking her food and is up in the ward. She is very lost and talks
nonsense when she speaks. Very thin and in poor health.
March 19 She is up in the ward and moving about. Is quite confused
mentally. Says her name is not Harris, that the Almighty told her so.
Cannot converse. Eals well generally & demands bread & butter all
day. Has put on flesh a little.
March 30 Patient was this day transferred to Hanwell Asylum.

Not Improved.
R.W. Gilmour

She shortly after her admission to Hanwell (within 3 weeks)
died of pneumonia.