Edit The Garrison Sanatorium

Garrison 1930

My Grandfather died when my mother was only four and, as they got older, with little income coming in to the house she, along with her two sisters, were expected to go to work as soon as possible. After a time doing office work, she was old enough to start training as a nurse.

She says about this training period: Altogether I was four years at Belvedere hospital, passed my examinations and got my SRN Certificate. (State Registered Nurse). Three years was the normal training, but I stayed on as a staff nurse and sister relief for another year. I wanted a chance to save a little on my £5 a month salary so as I had intended and in fact was accepted for CMB training in Glasgow's main maternity hospital in Rotten Row Glasgow. That was the place to train in those days. 1928

My mother arrived on the island of Cumbrae some time in 1928 to work as a nurse in Dr. Paul's St. Andrew's Home, which specialised in the treatment of spinal tuberculosis. Writing about this time in Millport, my mother says:

My next move was to an orthopaedic hospital in Millport called St Andrews Nursing Home. It had been a private nursing home but Doctor Paul, a native of Millport, bought it to specialize in treating non pulmonary tuberculosis.The actual nursing home was turned into nurses' quarters and pavilions were built in the grounds of the Garrison. These were built so that the whole front of the wards was open verandas with tarpaulin sheets that were closed at night time or in stormy weather. This was long before the days of antibiotics and, as it was considered that the most important part of treating tuberculosis was fresh air, all our work was done out in the open air. Children with TB spine were put into spinal boards. They were laid flat down on these boards and straps were fitted to stop them moving. Socks were then put on their feet which were fitted into boots which were also firmly fixed to the foot of the spinal board. The boots were laced up and the child could not move at all. Plaster casts were made and the child lay in these sometimes for anything up to two or three years. There were good results with children as X-ray plates showed. As the diseased bone responded to treatment the new bones were encouraged to knit together very slowly. That is why treatment was so long.

The Millport job was like a holiday after the big city hospitals in which I worked. The food was excellent and with the sea air and the lighter workload I soon got back to normal health. The time that I spent at Saint Andrews Home was about some of the happiest years in my life.

The picture shows my mother, in full nurse's uniform, around 1930 in the grounds of the Garrison with one of the patients. - Cameron Cunningham cameron.cunningham@blueyonder.co.uk

 

Anne M. Tarn says: 
How lucky you are to have such a clear account of your mother's experiences at St. Andrew's Home. I have a book which is a collection of three newsletters written by the patients and staff there in 1932 and 1933. It also gives the impression that although there must have been many very difficult and unpleasant things to be endured by patients, and staff, in St. Andrew's Home it had a positive and cheerful atmosphere in which your mother must have played a part. It is nice to know that she remembers her time there as the some of the happiest years of her life. My name is Anne and my mother was Dr. Paul's niece. She was known as Nancy and was living with Dr. and Mrs. Paul at the time your mother was a nurse there. I have been trying to find out as much as I can about the hospital but I do not live at Millport and time and distance make it difficult for me to find information relevant to the early years of the hospital's existence in the second half of the 1920's and the 1930's. Reading your article has been very informative and a great pleasure. Thank you. Would 'a sequel' be possible ?
Cameron Cunningham says: 

Good to hear from you Anne---- no sequel is proposed but I do have some more photographs if you would like to have copies.

Drop me an e-mail and I will send them direct to you.

Kindest regards,

Cameron

Josie McMurdo says: 
My dad was a patient in the sanatorium in the late 1920's or early 30's. Is there a record of patients that can be viewed? E-mail jomcmurdo@tiscali.co.uk

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