Mexico’s missing students

In Guerrero State, Mexico there is Iguala, and has become better known for a mystery than the peaceful rural life. In September, 2014, 43 students suddenly went missing. The students had travelled by busy from a teacher’s college in Ayotzinapa to state a protest, where the mayor’s wife was speaking. It is said that at some point the police had them at gunpoint on the edge of the city under the mayor’s orders. José Luis Abarca Velázquez then went into hiding along with his wife and the police chief, the mayor and his wife were caught a few weeks later.

On that day two students and three bystanders were killed when the police confronted the students, the shooting then strafed across nearby buildings with their bullets. Supposedly the students were handed over to a local cartel, the Guerreros Unidos. The next day the body of one of the students was dumped in the streets of Iguala, his skin had been removed from his face. The people and local government security forces have been combing the local area trying to find them. During this they have uncovered a number of mass graves and it serves as a horrific reminder about how routine murders appear to have become.

The local mountains around Iguala are locally referred to as a graveyard, and sadly the students have not been located. All around the area there are pictures, placards and posters trying to locate the missing students. The 43 missing students have come to stand for the tens of thousands of other people that have lost their lives in the ongoing Mexican drug wars. It also stands for some as a poignant statement about the lack of government accountability.

It has meant that the governor of Guerrero has been forced to resign, 80 people with over half of those being police have been arrested. There are few signs that the protests will die down any time soon, and when the police started to crack down on the harder protesters this incited further anger. The result is that Iguala now looks like the aftermath of a warzone, and vigilantes patrol the streets looking for the missing, the military and federal police are constantly circling the town’s streets.

Not far away from Iguala in Ayotzinapa the family members have turned the classrooms into communal sleeping areas, there they have a banner over the schools entrance demanding justice. There is an impromptu memorial that was photographed by a blogger that visited, it consists of 46 orange chairs, for those missing and those confirmed as dead.

Hilda Legideño Vargas is one of those with a missing son; he was on his way to Iguala and said he would text on his way home. The text and her son never came and like many she is left with a hole in her life where her son should be, or at the very least some answers…

In September, 2015 after a six month investigation led by a panel of experts assembled by Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released its results. They came to the conclusion that the claim from the Government about them being killed in a garbage dump, having been mistaken for a drug gang, was ‘scientifically impossible’ given the settings of the situation. There are some others that say, however, that this investigation had shortcomings and feel that this explanation is plausible. So the response is that the government will carry out a new investigation and take further opinions about what happened to the students the night they were presumably killed.

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44238005

Irelands Disappearing Island

The island is known for the most part as Hy-Brasil and was first put on a map in 1325; it was made by the Genoese cartographer Angellino de Dalorto. He placed it to the southwest of Ireland and was described as almost perfectly round with a river down the centre. It has been noted locally before that but this is it’s first documented appearance.

The Celtic people put this to be an island of eternal plenty and happiness, it was populated by an advanced civilization and they possessed the best technology and wealth. The island had towers and streets of gold, and it was shrouded in fog, it was only witnessed by the general population once every seven years and if you tried to approach the island you would never be able to fully reach it. Of course there are supposed to be the rare people that did and they came back richer than their wildest dreams. The race seemed to be on to get to Hy-Brasil and claim it to make themselves richer than anyone else!

1480 saw explorer John Jay Jr depart from Bristol, England to try and find it but came back empty handed. 1481 two shops from Bristol called Trinity and George went out and again seemed unable to find it. Several other attempts were made, it remains speculation about their success as there was nothing further noted.

1480-1497 the Italian explorer, John Cabot, made an excursion to find North America but had an ulterior motive to try and locate Hy-Brasil, he was convinced it was out there and it’s not certain if he found it or not. After the 1497 voyage a letter from the Spanish diplomat, Pedro de Ayala, claimed that Cabot had found land that has been discovered by Bristol men in the past, or at the very least he had seen it. The speculation on that one could anything at all from he found it, to he decided to bunk off using it as a reason.

In 1674 Captain John Nesbitt made the biggest claim, saying he had set foot on the island and explored it. He said they had been sailing when a dense fog enveloped the ship and when they landed they were at an unfamiliar shore. They found that it was inhabited by large black rabbits, and there was a wizard there in a stone castle. They returned loaded with gold and silver given to them by the islanders and then Alexendar Johnson followed up his claims saying that Nesbitt was correct with his information.

It seems that despite the hardships of confirming the islands existence it remained on the maps anyways, but the position of it appears to shift and two maps in 1595 show it lying west of Ireland. In all of the maps it was still round with a central river, and then it helps popping up until 1870 when the British Admiralty removed it. This didn’t stop stories about encounters though and in 1878 the people of Ballycotton in County Cork were amazed to see an island appear where it hadn’t been before.

18^th February 2012, pilot Niger Gosseur reported a mysterious bank of god along the ocean on the west coast of Ireland, in otherwise clear conditions. He reported that his compass went haywire and that he saw landmasses where he was sure there was none before. Baffled he continued to fly over to Ireland.

One of the ideas put forward is that the island may well have existed at some point and has been buried under the waves. The evidence for this might be the west coast of Ireland has a place known as Porcupine Bank,a raised seabed found in 1862, this for some suggests it is perhaps evidence that an island once existed there. Another theory is that many have mistaken the nearby Baffin Island as the island of Hy-Brasil, this is off the northern coast of Canada. The location of the island has slowly crawled around and changed so it’s possible that it was misidentified and has slowly been corrected over time.

Another explanation is that the island has never existed; it could be an optical illusion. One type of mirage that can account for this is the Fata Morgana, a layer of warm air which sits on a layer of cold, it then acts like a refracting disc and can created inverted images from distant areas and coastlines. Perhaps they are seeing this? Whatever the history/story it’s brilliant idea for a story… and the imagination of many has been captured about the idea of the disappearing island that comes up to grant you lots of cash!

By derivative work: AFBorchert (talk)
1572_Europa_Ortelius.jpg: Ortelius – 1572_Europa_Ortelius.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4785261

Columbia

Here are a some of tales from the area that caught my eye, they are the Central Cemetery of Bogotá and National Police HQ. Both seem interesting enough to mention here.

The General Cemetery of Bogotá is what seems to be a spiritual and busy area. One of those areas most closely linked with the paranormal is ‘El Caraol’ a spiral staircase with leads to the mass graves of ‘undesirables’. Rapists, murderers and those who committed suicide are those people in that area. A tomb of an unknown rich boy is said to grant miracles and believers line up at the grave of Leo Seigfried Kopp, who founded the Bogotá’s Bavaria beer to ask for favours. It’s a strange place of acceptance and religions. Drug addicts, transvestites and performers, the strange and all find a place amongst the tombs and graves.

And the National Police HQ, Bucaramanga has a radio station ghost who likes to turn off the lights and on again. It turns the taps for water off and on, as well as knocking on the stations windows. As well as this the entity likes to play around with the CD’s and some report a blond figure who if chased or hailed will suddenly disappear. The building is also where an officer committed suicide.

One more for the Columbian round-up is the Manuel Varela House, an abandoned (and listed monument) Republican mansion. Manuel Verela is said to have made a pact with the devil, he was an infamous physician and it seems that the legend states he would sacrifice a soul to the devil each year. So each year in return the devil would raise his wealth, and this it seems explained why those related to him died or mysteriously vanished. Some believe the devil still visits the area.

By Baiji – Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11989705

Joelma 13 Mystery

In 1974 the Joelma building in São Paulo, Brazil caught fire and took a tragic 189 lives along with it. The legend seems to have gone on for a long time before the final days of the building, a 400 year legacy surrounds the land and a legend of 13 cursed souls of Jesuit colonists starts it, but 13 saints arriving later on seems to have ended it.

In 1554 the founding of São Paulo was started with Vasco da Gama and his Portuguese invaders, 12 priests and their altar boy founded the Jesuit College and they were cursed by the local tribe. They were cursed to take the lives of their fellow Christians who dared to live on the land.

On the area was a house for a chemist, Paul Campbell, he lived with his own family and extended family. He was a respected chemist and one day he returned home with a gun in hand, killing the household before burying them in a pit in the back of the garden and then turned the gun on himself. Murder-suicide, and 12 dead and the curse of the thirteen claimed a fire-fighter who caught an infection from one of the corpses and died the next day.

For 25 years that property and it’s land remained vacant until the construction of the Joelma building. The address name was changed, but still witnesses spoke about odd disturbances in the building. Even in 1972 it seemed that no one was at rest.

In 1974 an electrical fire engulfed the building, it killed 189 people and hospitalised 343. Strangely there were 13 victims that no one could identify or witness as being in the building prior to it’s outbreak. The thirteen people were in an elevator that would have reached up to 700 degrees at the time, yes that is roasting people level, and yet strangely all 13 of them emerged as a group. They did however died once outside from smoke inhalation, strangely thought it seems that the number 13 came around enough times to keep the original story in the recollection.

Newstead Sanatorium – Further Research

https://silentthrill.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/newstead-sanitorium/ this is the main blog that started off my interest.

 

Newstead – further research

As some of my more regular readers, and those interested in Newstead. This may not prove to be entirely the most interesting thing some of you would read but I have placed it here as part of the further research I did after my initial posting. Whilst not creepy it is a follow up on the original information I found for the tuberculosis sanatorium in Newstead, Fishpool, Nottinghamshire.

I have researched into this as far as I feel I necessarily can given limited time-constraints and budgets/access to any further records.

The main reason many are likely to find it hard work to get more information other than passing reference or anecdotes is that there was never scandal or concern about the place in general. Nothing terrible happened, no one was murdered etc and so the press had no reason to cover anything that might lead to further documentation. For anyone who has been interested to find more I hope that the two blogs I have contributed are enough to give you an indication into the Newstead Sanatorium.

Originally it opened in 1942 but has since been demolished, it was opened in 1942 by the City of Nottingham as a TB sanatorium (notation via Philip E Jones, Turning back the pages in Ravenshead). The building had shallowly-projecting balconies along the south front and a two-storey, flat-roofed north wing that housed service and administration functions.

In 1994 the area was given planning permission for a residential value of £10 million. From 1942 to 1964 there were 900 child patients that attended the school over that 22 year period. It was closed in 1964 and became a Geriatric hospital until 1992, it was then closed and finally demolished.

THE LONDON GAZETTE, 28TH AUGUST 1996 – Public Notices

AGAS DEVELOPMENTS LTD. Notice of Application for Public Gas Transporters Licence Extension Notice is hereby given that AGAS Developments Limited has applied for a licence extension from the Director General of Gas Supply to its public gas transporters licence treated as granted under section 7 of the Gas Act 1986 in respect of the following areas:

Newstead Hospital, Ravenshead, OS Ref. SK 54 55 Nottinghamshire

Daily Life and information:

TB was treated with penicillin which did not cure the disease but was able to ease the symptoms for some, a patient that was there in 1961 stated that the patients would smoke, when the doctors were due on rounds the nurses would rush around to help them hide the smell to avoid them getting in trouble.

The beds were on an open veranda and would have only blinds to shield the patients from the cold British weather. Another former patient that has helped me, has explained that often the windows were left open no matter the time of year. Due to the windows and balconies being left open it was not unusual for patients to find snow on their beds during the bad weather.

Another anecdote I found is that the patients would have spare clothes, or they would have people bring some in for them so that they could go into Mansfield at night, they would do this by catching a local bus and then go to the pub.

This was the case for a similar place, Woodland in Shropshire where the buildings were left open and unused afterwards because people worried about going in and there being a chance of infection. In the case of Woodland the main area is now part of an Industrial Estate but there are still some who are superstitious about the use of the area and about entering it. This may have contributed as to why these buildings have, in many cases, been left in disrepair or have been demolished.

T A Newham was a patient there in 1960 on Ward 6 and notes that one of the first wards to close was the children’s. They were separate to the main building and the responder states that there were 6 wards on three floors. He said that the genders were not meant to mix but then he intimates that it happened anyway.

Doreen Towle said that her mother was there from 1962, she never heard a bad word about it and her mother used to enjoy the daily bottle of stout. She did remember it being a lengthy bus journey when she was only 15. She now lives in Australia at the time of writing this post.

I found another extract and this is from A Call to Arms by Edmund Stawow, a personal account of their time in service. The bit I looked at was for the purposes of this recent look at the Sanatorium. He describes the Sanatorium as a large four-story brick building that is in the forest around the gently rising hills. The air was considered to be pure and the place tranquil which supported the idea at the time of respite and fresh air for the symptoms and to try and cure TB. The account is more about visiting a friend but within that does mention that they had visiting hours.

17^th March 1943 from what I can make out there was a letter from Mrs Johnson and family thanking the doctors and staff for beautiful floral tributes and thank you to the staff at No 3 Ward, Isolation.

Some of those associated as patients or workers:

Lilian RODE daughter of Benjamin Rofe and Martha Annie Lowe, born in 1900. She was born in Burslem, Staffordshire and worked at Newstead Sanatorium, Nottingham.

The British Journal Of Nursing – April 1944. APPOINTMENTS. – MATRON. Newstead Sanatorium, Nottingham. – Miss Hilda I. Richards, S.R.N., S.C.M., has been appointed Matron. She was trained at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital; at the David Lewis Northern Hospital, Liverpool ; and at the City of London Maternity Hospital. Miss Richards has been Ward Sister at the David Lewis Northern Hospital, Liverpool; Night Sister, Home and Stores Sister, and Assistant Matron at the City Sanatorium, Birmingham. She also took the Housekeeping Course of the Leicester Royal Infirmary; and holds Honours of the Tuberculosis Association.

James RUSSELL, son of James RUSSELL (1869-1945) and Kate MASON (1871-1941), was born on 19 August 1903 in Lenton, Nottingham. He appeared in the census on 2 April 1911 in 12 Jackson Terrace, Simkin Street, Nottingham aged 7. He was a Lorry Driver. He died of Bronchial Carcinoma, Chronic Bronchitis and Auricular Fibrillation on 29 July 1965 in Newstead Hospital, Nottinghamshire aged 61. He was cremated on 4 August 1965 in Wilford Crematorium aged 61. Lily and James had 9 children listed.

Lily RUSSELL daughter of James RUSSELL and Lily PHILLIPSON, was born on 19 February 1931 in St. Anns. She died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Tuberculous Laryngitis on 16 February 1946 in Newstead Sanatorium, Nottinghamshire. She was buried in Wilford Hill Cemetery, Nottingham aged 15.

MRS D. J. FLEMING : Obituary Published in the Chad.co.uk on 15 October 2011

A service at Mansfield crematorium chapel preceded cremation of Mrs Dorothy Joyce Fleming (80), who had been a resident of Wren Hall Nursing Home, Selston. Mrs Fleming had previously lived at Kirkby. Born at Birmingham and educated at School Street and Vernon Road schools, Kirkby, Mrs Fleming had been a local resident for 78 years.

Before her marriage she was a nurse at Newstead Sanatorium, then she had been a cook supervisor at Jeffries Primary School for many years until retiring. Her interests included collecting china, visits to the Potteries, holidays, watching musicals, ballet and ice skating, listening to classical music. She especially loved being with her children and grandchildren.

Mrs Fleming, who died at Wren Hall Nursing Home, leaves her daughters, Susan Cross and Sandra Playford, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Mr Kenneth Fleming. Mourners Mr T. Playford, Mrs S. Playford, Mrs S. Cross, Miss E. Cross, Mrs R. Mason,MrR. J. Playford, Mr and Mrs G. Lynk, Mr P. Stafford, Mr S. Lynk, Mrs J. Lynk, Mr N. Mason, Ms M. Gent, Mrs P. Hayes, Mr and Mrs C. Wilson, Mr and Mrs G. W. Cooper, Mrs P. Severn; Mrs S. A. Walsh (representing Walsh family), Mrs C. Morris, Mr T. Cross, Mr C. Fowler, Mrs M. Walters, Mrs L. Wheat, Mrs D. Lee, Mrs E. Clarke, Mrs B. Hinchliffe, Mrs L. Walton, Mrs M. Poyser. Representing Wren Hall Nursing Home were Mrs S. Powell, Mrs K. Clay, Mrs P. Haney, Mrs J. Scothern, Mrs K. Ormshaw. Floral tributes were from the family and all at Wren Hall.

Donations received in lieu were for the Residents’ Fund at Wren Hall. The service was conducted by the Rev M. Evans, and arrangements were by K. Gregory&Sons Ltd.

Mrs Helga Irmgard Kijan (79), who died at her home at Ladybrook Lane, Mansfield, was cremated at Mansfield after a service at the crematorium chapel. Born at Danzig, Germany, Mrs Kijan was educated there until the age of 15, when she went to study English and shorthand and typing at college in Berlin. She came to England in 1948 when the English were advertising for workers and had lived locally for 60 years. Mrs Kijan worked for two years as a nurse at Newstead Sanatorium until 1950 and after her marriage and the birth of her children worked at Lawn Mills on Rosemary Street, at Seal & Turner’s, and finally at Mansfield Hosiery Mills from where she retired in 1986. Her interests were very family orientated and she also enjoyed poetry, music — from classic and jazz to easy listening — reading, current affairs and watching television, especially documentaries, soaps and sporting events.

She also loved being with her Dachshund, Danny. Mrs Kijan leaves her husband, Mr Wasyl Anton Kijan, son André, daughter Roma, four grandchildren, Jason, Rachel, Daniella and Ashley, and three great-grandchildren, Alexandra, Bailey and Riley.

Mourners were Mr W. Kijan, Mr and Mrs A. Kijan, Mr and Mrs John Redfern, Mr and Mrs Jason Redfern, Miss R. Redfern, Mr A. Kijan and Miss S. Dykes, Miss D. Kijan, Mr and Mrs J. and D. Hales, Mr K. Boxford, Mrs A. Boxford, Mr D. Boxford, Mr D. Woodhead, Mrs L. Sykelyk, Mr and Mrs D. Palmer, Mr and Mrs G. Champion, Mrs A. Gill, Mr and Mrs I. Blythe, Mrs J. S. Redfern, Mr and Mrs T. J. Redfern, Mrs A. Shaw, Ms J. Draper, Mr and Mrs A. Galazyka, Mr S. Kocun, Mr and Mrs K. A. Hurt, Mr V. Lutak.

The service was conducted by Mr D. Sharpe, and arrangements were by Co-operative Funeralcare.

MR A. HUNT (Forest Town) – Published in the Chad, 10th February 2010.

Former steam engine driver Mr Arthur Hunt (92), of Woodland Road, Forest Town, was cremated at Mansfield after a service at the crematorium chapel. Born at Stanley Common, Derbyshire and educated at Carter Lane and High Oakham Boys’ schools, Mansfield, Mr Hunt lived locally for most of his life. For 33 years he was a steam engine driver, after which he worked for 11 years self-employed in a hardware store. Latterly, he worked for seven years at Newstead Hospital as a boiler man, from where he retired in 1991. Mr Hunt loved family get-togethers, driving and walking in Derbyshire, DIY at home, steam railway trips, reading, dancing, holidays and his garden.

Mr Hunt, who died at King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton, leaves his partner of 30 years, Mrs Shirley A. Scarborough, two daughters, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and Shirley’s family — one son, three daughters, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Mourners were Mrs S. Scarborough, Mr J. Barker, Mr and Mrs R. Baggaley, Miss C. Baggaley, Mr R. Baggaley, Mrs J. Wright, Miss J. Scarborough, Mr M. Wright, Miss K. Stanley, Mr J. Barker, Miss H.Martin, Mr and Mrs M. Dennison, Mr and Mrs M. Smedley, Mrs S. Thorpe, Miss Z. Thorpe, Miss J. Thorpe, Mr and Mrs D. Kennedy, Miss S. Kennedy, Mr A. Kennedy, Mrs D. See, Mr and Mrs G.Kennedy, Mrs P. Davey, Mr and Mrs J. Kelsall, Mr C. Kelsall, Mrs E. Herkowyj, Mr and Mrs P. Holland, Mr M.Hawkins, Mr and Mrs A. Chappell, Mr J. Hayden, Mr and Mrs D. Daykin.

Representing 50 Plus Oak Tree Centre were Mr and Mrs J. Ellis, Mr and Mrs A. Eames, Mr R. Taylor, Mrs S. Watson, Mrs M. Butlin, Mr and Mrs G. Butler, Mr R. Richards.

Forest Town WI representatives included Mrs E. Pinnick and Mrs R. Downing.

Maun Motors representatives were Mr D. MacCallam and Mr L. Hallam, and Age Concern at Mansfield, was represented by Mrs M. Sharpe and Mrs A. Morgan.

Floral tributes were from Shirley, Jean and Mick, Barbara and Derick; Ken and Kath, brother and family in Australia; James, Heather, Paige and Lucas, Claire and Richard, Mark and Kirsty, Suzanne, Michael, William, Eleanor and Angelica; Dawn, Sue, Zoey, Jade, Andrew Sarah; Mrs Norma Barker.
Donations received in lieu of flowers were for the British Heart Foundation.

The service was conducted by the Rev R. Jones, and arrangements were by Sutton Co-operative Funeralcare.

http://www.unwritten.org.uk

I found an article here about a nurse during the war and who was stationed at Newstead. Megan Jenkins was a nurse who explained it was that or the forces, so she picked nursing. Before her arrival to the hospital she was engaged to an American from the forces who died in D-Day, she ended up with a post at Sully Hospital (Mid Glamorgan, now converted into luxury apartments) where the treatment was like many, fresh air for TB and if they had to treat it surgically a rib was removed and then the lung was collapsed, after rest the disease would die and hopefully the patient would recover.

The pay as a nurse was not great and so she had looked around for a better job, she found an advertisement in The Nursing Mirror, “Newstead Sanatorium, sister wanted.” And and she went to get an interview, she was there on a Friday 13th for the male ward and she became a sister there.

Sister Jenkins fell in love with an RAF officer there, she used to take the patient’s pillows out for complete rest for an hour, and there was the tall, good looking man. Each month the nurses would be screen for TB and the matron must have picked up on the secret affair, she was reminded that they were patients and infectious! So she was told to get out.

I think her for her candid report about that and the other things in her life, which I haven’t gone into as they not relevant to this particular subject.

MARGARET SIPSON (nee Horrobin) – Born 1931, wanted to be a nurse from an early age and realised she had to wait until she was 18 to train to be a State Registered Nurse. When she was 17 she was able to train as TB Nurse and work at Newstead Sanatorium, when she reached 18 she went off to Sheffield Royal Infirmary to do her full training. She came back to Newstead as a staff nurse, and was soon promoted to ward sister on the children’s ward.

Anthony G. Hancock Wollaton – He had been reading about the Sanatorium in a news article from the Nottingham Post and responded to explain his mother had been a TB patient there, she was 38 and spent 13 months in Newstead. Whatever the weather was like the doors were open and she had told him that she remembered only a couple of times when they were not, this had been due to fog and this was not considered good for the lungs. As a nine year old boy he was unable to visit her so had to wave at her from the field at the rear.

He mentioned that his mother was taken to the Ransom one in Nottingham for two other operations, they were brutal but saved her life from TB and then when Streptomycin came in she recovered for good, she lived until 81 years of age.

Lance Corporal William Pritchard (90 years of age in 2013) was also featured in the Nottingham Post, he was part of the Home Guard, they had orders to capture a German pilot who had crashed his fighter plane in Bramcote Hills. They went over with very little protection and from the crashed plane came the pilot who drew his pistol, they feared the worst but he threw it away and handed himself over.

The Home Guard then took him to the awaiting army lorry and he was taken in as a prisoner, as this was happening the phone rang and the prisoner ran, out through the open door into the dark night, they followed him until they heard a splash and found him in icy water where they finally had him taken away.

Unfortunately William did not make it into the picture of the home guard there, he was ill at the time, he then joined an anti-aircraft battery stationed at Wilford Hill, he did some training at Sutton-On-Sea and said that they even had run and made quite a few friends. His attempt to join the army for the war effort did not happen, he was rejected for being knock-kneed and could not stand to attention.

Not one to ignore the call he instead tried to go into the RAF, William was initially accepted but then later he was told he could not go because he was medically unfit. William ended up in Newstead Sanatorium for four years and lost his left lung to the disease.

At the time I found this Lance Corporal William Pritchard was helping with the Salvation Army.

Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by Means of Fluorescence Microscopy
Tubercle, Volume 28, Issue 9, Pages 189-192.

G.O.A. Briggs, Maxwell H. Jennison

(link http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0041387948800346)

I found some short reference to the above journal and apologise, but as this is not towards some form of actual book and more a passion of investigation, I did not pay for full access. The extract I found seems to compare two forms of technique for identifying the TB Bacteria.

For those of you wanting a quick explanation: Ziehl–Neelsen stain is acid fast staining, and Mycobacteria is what is known as an acid-fast. Mycobacteria tuberculosis was identified by Robert Koch in 1882 and the Zhiel-Neelsen test is the most commonly used way to test for this outside of a tb skin test or chest radiographs (introduced later from what I could find).

In comparison to this was Fluorescence Microscopy which used the an optical microscope that uses either fluorescence or phosphorescence to identify the properties of organic and inorganic substances. (incidentally it makes for some lovely viewing on an aesthetic level).

The document seems to be referring to a recently published article about the tests of these written by the above authors in November, 1948 from Newstead Sanatorium. The overall summary from the first page I read seems to suggest that the acid fast test proved to be more to their favour.

In effect from what I deduce (I may be wrong!) is that they had used patients at Newstead to form a comparison basis in regards to identifying TB at the time. This seems plausible given that a steadfast method for identifying the illness for treatment would be important as well.

British Medical Journal – Sept 11, 1948.

A statement from the Ministry of Health is about the streptomycin treatment for TB patients, the beds are listed in numbers for each hospital and explains that they must be fully staffed for the scientific control of the treatment. It describes the need to understand the drug given that it is most likely going to be used more and more. The initial plan for randomised treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis seems to list Newstead Sanatorium with 4 available staffed beds for the trial.

Nottingham Evening Post information I could find:

20^th August 1941 – Maintenance engineer required to take charge of the plant at Newstead, approaching it’s completion. Salary £4/10 per week.

23^rd October 1941/ Boiler house attendants required, there are no residences on the site and the pay is 1/6 per hour.

31^st January 1942 – Space for a cook at the sanatorium with a list of 180 beds to cover, the pay is £150 per annum with a war bonus.

6^th May 1942 – The New Modern Sanatorium with 180 beds is near its completion and so they are inviting student nurses age 17+ to apply.Daily women needed for cleaning new hospital, also a woman to help with plain sewing. Apply to Matron.

8^th May 1942/ 15^th May 1942 – A Steward, over military age, or otherwise exempt from military service, is required for the above institution.

29^th May 1942/30^th May 1942/ 3^rd June 1942/ 10^th July 1942/13^th July 1942 – The New Modern Sanatorium with 180 beds is near its completion and so they are inviting student nurses age 17+ to apply.

11^th July 1942 – New Sanatorium, near completion. Salary for the first year is £40. (unable to determine the position from what I could find)

19^th August 1942 – Health Committee Require the JL services of a Registered Dentist at the Sanatorium.

22^nd August 1942 – House or bungalow is wanted for immediate rent within 5 miles of the sanatorium.

26^th August 1942 /27^th August 1942/28^th August 1942 – Assistant cook is being asked for, previous hospital experience is necessary. Salary £75 rising by £5 to £85 plus war bonus with full board, uniform and laundry. Applying to the Matron, Fishpool, Mansfield, Notts.

29^th August 1942/ 1^st September 1942 – Staff Nurses are needed and says ‘Salary of Staff Nurses (S.R.N. and T.A.) £90 rising by £5 to £110 plus war bonus and usual emoluments).

17^th December 1942/ 18^th December 1942 – A Porter for general duties, wages 60 a week, plus war bonus. Applications, with copies of two testimonial could be sent to the medical superintendent.

21^st Jan 1943/23^rd Jan 1943 – Assistant cook is being asked for, they ask for someone with experience in numbers. Wages offered are £75 + 5—£85’s per annum and War Bonus, use of uniform. Here is it listed as Kirkby Road, Fishpool, Nr Mansfield.

Boiler attendant being asked for.

4^th February 1943 – Nurses from 17 years old + required, Salary first year I didn’t quite get but for the second year it’s £50 and usual emolument. Apply to the Matron at the sanatorium, Kirkby Road.

14^th May 1943 – Cooked required and a canteen assistant. Wages offered are £75, rising annually by £5 to £85 for the cook.

15^th May 1943 – Assistant cook is being asked for, they ask for someone with experience in numbers. Wages offered are £75 + 5—£85’s per annum and War Bonus, use of uniform. Here is it listed as Kirkby Road, Fishpool, Nr Mansfield.

17^th May 1943 – £45 first year, second year it’s £50, use of uniform.

18^th May 1943 /20^th May 1943/ 21^st May 1943 – Nurses from 17 years old + required, £45 first year, second year it’s £50 and usual emolument. Use of Uniform. Application forms and particulars from the matron.

22^nd May 1943 – Nurses from 17 years old + required, £45 first year, second year it’s £50 and usual emolument. Use of Uniform. Apply to the Matron at the sanatorium, Kirkby Road.

28^th May 1943 – Carpenter instructor required, need to apply with their qualifications for either part time or full time work.

4^th June 1943 – Carpenter Instructor required for Newstead Sanatorium, near Nottingham. Applicants should give qualifications and salary required for full or part-time work.

26^th July 1943/27^th July 1943 – Cook is being asked for, they ask for someone with experience in numbers. Wages offered are £75, rising annually by £5 to £85.

28^th August 1943/ 30^th August 1943 – Silver nurses badge inscribed with I M Baxter S.R.N lost between the bus station at the sanatorium and the city. A reward offered if was found.

4^th September 1943 Cook Required, experience with numbers preferred. Salary £100 per annum, rising £5 annually £115 and War Bonus.

7^th September 1943 – Urgently requiring cook, Salary £100 rising £5 annually to £110 with war bonus.

18^th September 1943/20^th September 1943 – Porter required for general duties, £4/1/6 per week, copies of two testimonials to be provided with application to the Medical Superintendent.

13^th Jan 1944/15^th Jan 1944 – Urgently requiring cook, Salary £100 rising £5 annually to £110 with war bonus.

1^st February 1944/2^nd February 1944 – Space for a cook at the sanatorium with a list of 180 beds to cover, the pay is £150 per annum with a war bonus.

3^rd Feb 1944 – they are looking for cleaners, 44 hours per work and applications to be addressed to Matron (Miss Berkley) at Newstead Sanatorium, Nr Fishpool, Mansfield.

8^th Feb 1944 / 9^th February 1944/ 10^th February 1944 – Space for a cook at the sanatorium with a list of 180 beds to cover, the pay is £150 per annum with a war bonus.

8^th March 1944 – R Clayton asking for a large set of table skittles at the sanatorium, asks to write to him with the price.

22^nd June 1944 – A porter is required for general duties, wages £4/3/6. They are asked to provide two testimonials to the Superintendent.

7^th February 1944 – Non-resident Teacher at the City of Nottingham Sanatorium, which is situated near Newstead Park, Nottinghamshire. There are twelve children at present at the Sanatorium, all non-infectious cases, and instruction is required in English.

8^th November 1945 – Ambulance driver, wages £3.14 per week.

10^th November 1945/28^th November – Female ward orderlies required, 48 hour week. £3.6 per hour riding by .2 annually. Includes war bonus. Apply with testimonials to the matron.

30^th November 1945 – Female ward orderlies required, 48 hour week. £3.6 per hour riding by .2 annually. Includes war bonus. Apply with testimonials to the matron.

7^th December 1945/10^th December 1945 – Woman and girls wanted, resident or non resident for work in the nurses home.

11^th January 1946 – Female orderlies required for children’s ward, 48 hour week.

8^th March 1946 – Window Cleaner needed, being able to drive an advantage.

9^th March 1946 – advertisement for student nurses, from 17 years upwards.

15^th March 1946 – Male Hairdressers needed for two half-days per week.

8^th June 1946 -Resident kitchen and dining room maids needed immediate. 48 hour week and uniform.

5^th October 1946 /9^th October 1946 – Applications are being taken for the post of a short-hand typist. It says something about salary in accordance with the General Division of the National Joint Council.

10^th October 1946 – Male ward orderly Required, R.A.M.C. experience an advantage; 48-hour week, wages £4/19/* per week (including War Bonus) Apply with full particulars to the Matron.

22^nd November 1946 – hairdresser needed for 210 bed sanatorium.

19^th May 1947/9^th June 1947 – General porter needed, wage and conditions accordingly, asked to provide two recent testimonials and to send to the Medical Superintendent.

20^th February 1948 /26^th February 1948 – Training school applications for appointment for student nurses (male and female) for 236 bed hospital.

23^rd March 1948/10^th December 1948 – Male ward orderlies needed. RAMO experience an advantage.

29^th March 1948/16^th November 1948/26^th November 1948 – Affiliated Training school applications are being invited for the 236 bed hospital for Sanatorium training. 18 years or over.

20^th August 1948 – Training school applications for appointment for student nurses (male and female) for 236 bed hospital.

29^th October 1948 – Staff nurses needed.

26^th August 1949/2^nd September 1949/16^th September 1949 – 256 bed hospital. Training school applications for appointment for student nurses (male and female)

23^rd September 1949 – Looking for an assistant head cook.

30^th September 1949 – Assistant Head Cook applications are being taken, male candidates.

4^th November 1949 – Ward Orderlies are needed with them giving preference to applicants that had been in the RAM.

30^th December 1949/31^st December 1949 – Applications are being taken for the post of a short-hand typist.

6^th Feb 1950/16^th November 1950 – Mentioned to have 236 beds and being affiliated with Sheffield Royal Infirmary

27^th March 1950 – Radiographer is required, with the salary for a Senior Radiographer or Radiographer depending on their experience, it says the Sanatorium is modern in it too.

28^th March 1950 – Looking for a female cook.

4^th May 1950 – I tried to find more but all I got was an obituary of someone that died there (name I could not get) for someone who died after a long illness – In silence she suffered. In patience she bore till God called her Home to suffer no more.

17^th May 1950 – looking for two kitchen assistants.

Further information found in the Nottingham Archives.

This information comes from Quinquennial Report Upon the work of the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board from 1947 to 1952 and Quinquennial Report Upon the work of the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board from 1952 to 1957.

In 1911 it was made obligatory by the Tuberculosis Regulations to inform the Medical Officer of Health about any cases of pulmonary TB, it was part of the beginning of an organised scheme and was part of the services that came under the newly formed NHS. It was seen as necessary to create a way to administer the service through the (then) 17 local authorities.

Chest Clinics were part of those services, meaning that they would act as a place for:

1. reception, diagnoses, observation and treatment;

2. the examination of contacts;

3. after-care of patients treated.

It was determined that beds for this purpose were still needed in areas, particularly Nottinghamshire but in 1952 it was less urgent than in 1948. An appendix table in the medical records for the area show that the number of open beds for admission in regards to respiratory cases (including TB) went from 449 in Nottingham, 5^th July 1948 to 529 on 31^st December 1952. They had reopened 26 beds and had added an additional 54.

In regards to Nottingham there were the following:

Respiratory cases admitted by year: 778 in 1949; 799 in 1950; 775 in 1951 and 760 in 1952.

Non-Respiratory cases: 121 in 1949; 107 in 1950, 104 in 1951 and 141 in 1952.

It details the differences in male, female and child admissions overall but did not break it down for Nottingham, I have not included those figures for this purpose.

It is mentioned that the major centres to be established in the region directly for Nottingham would be, City Hospital and Ransom Sanatorium (tuberculosis only in the latter), it does not mention the use of Newstead. During this period the Regional Hospital Board was Sheffield.

1953 – there was a noted improvement in incidence rates of tuberculosis, and in mortality, as opposed to the beginning of the century. The main attributing factor is that of the introduction of the use of antibiotics, directly referencing Streptomycin. The main people now affected are considered to be that of young women and elderly men. The drug had cheapened since it was first introduced. A course of the treatment was listed as approximately one pound per month, the other two drugs listed were Terramycin and Viomycin, which in contrast were costing around forty-pounds per month.

This has significantly affected the number of required beds in the wards and so there is now a direct listing for Newstead, Nottingham as having 26 beds (1 ward) for children-orthopaedic use. This is in stark contract to the previous list of 529 the year before being listed overall as possible TB recovery beds.

1963 I found a record that Newstead has a listed 65 beds for the chronic sick, now being used as beds for non-tuberculosis use given the decrease in TB cases overall.

Further Reading/Links for reference:

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Level	Collection
Repository	GB 0157 Nottinghamshire Archives
ReferenceNo	SCH/118/1
FullCatalogue	View collection catalogue
AccessionNo	7245
Title	NEWSTEAD HOSPITAL SCHOOL
Date	1944 – 1964
Extent	2 vols
CreatorName	Newstead: Hospital School
AdminHistory	(attached to Newstead sanatorium) Opened 3 April 1944; clsoed 1964 and the children transferred to Harlow Wood Hospital School.
ScopeAndContent	Log book and admission register
AccessStatus	Restricted Access
AccessConditions	CARN reader’s ticket required
AccessCategoryNote	Some of these records are on restricted access for 100 years; access dates are noted beside the relevant document. If access to any restricted record is required please apply to the Team Managers Archives and Local Studies.
ReproductionNote	Copies may be made for personal use for research for non-commercial purpose or private study upon payment of the appropriate fee. Prior to the publication of any item permission must be sought in writing from the Team Manager Archives and Local Studies and the copyright owner. A reproduction fee may be charged.

 City Hospital Annual Report 1944