大象传媒

On V.E. Day I was 10 years old and in Grove Isolation Hospital, Leighton Buzzard recovering from a serious illness. I had red, white and blue ribbon in my hair and a flag affixed to my bed-head.

A few weeks earlier, a rash had appeared on my chest and scarlet fever was diagnosed. After a few days in hospital septicaemia developed. At first, I was given M & B tablets but they did not have any effect and the hospital doctor called in my parents and said they would like to try a new treatment called penicillin. 鈥淚t has been used with some success on the troops,鈥� said Dr. Rothcope 鈥渁nd we would like to see if your daughter would respond otherwise there is nothing else we can do.鈥�

My parents immediately gave permission for the treatment to start and so a series of injections was given to me. I had a total of l04 starting at 2 hourly intervals, then as
I responded, every 4 hours and finally every 6 hours. Eventually, the poison came out in an abscess on both knees. I was in hospital for a total of six weeks and convalescing for about six months afterwards. I made the front page of the local paper (see photo).

Another local boy, who was in Grove Hospital at the same time said, when told the war had ended, 鈥淥h good, can I have a banana.鈥�

The day after Victory in Europe was declared, my aunt came to visit me. She was wearing a red, white and blue jumper which she had knitted for King George V1鈥檚 Coronation. She told me that on the train between Bletchley and Leighton Buzzard, she felt very uncomfortable as a fellow traveller was staring at her, her eyes riveted on the jumper.

She eventually leaned forward and said, 鈥淚 was admiring your jumper. You must be a fast knitter. Did you sit up all night making that?鈥� thinking that she had just knitted it. They had a laugh together when my aunt explained that it had been made for the coronation.

When I got home from hospital, my mother wrote to Dr. Rothcope, thanking him. A few days later, we received a reply saying that cases such as mine made the practise of medicine worthwhile. I am thankful that I responded to the penicillin and was not one of those who are allergic to it. It seems that I was one of the first civilians to have this treatment.

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