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If this were a TV show, this letter would make quite a dramatic episode: Fred is worried that Sibyl might have tuberculosis, the disease that killed his first wife, Mabel. But it seems to have been just a scare. I haven't noticed any further mention of TB in the letters between Fred and Sibyl.
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Dondi, April 5, ‘28
My darling Byl:
I have just come back - 8:30 p.m. from putting the children to bed. All have normal temperatures and the abdominal case seems to be on the mend. I removed his drain this forenoon. They must have considerable natural immunity to peritoneal infection. A number of cases of that kind have gotten well without any trouble. It was fortunate that I have some beds that were made here - narrow and high. To get the supports I just nailed boards to the bed frames. It did not take more than ten minutes to do the whole thing.
[There’s a diagram showing how the bed is set up so the patient’s back is reclining, not flat, and the knees are up.]
My kitchen stove has been going this evening to sterilize some dressings, towels +c. I will have a lot of stuff prepared this or next week so that any other such cases will find plenty of sterile linen. I am expecially short of wrappers. I may have to use new [?illegible?] to cover things.
Mr. Prior goes to Sachikela tomorrow for the communion service and weddings. He expects to return next Thursday. Mrs. P. will stay here in Dondi. I think Mary will stay with her over Sunday. It will be his first public speech in Umbundu. He has been practicing the wedding ceremony and offered to do ours in Umbundu. He was puzzled over some of the words. Jesu wa kolisa ondaka yoku kuela +c. He knew one meaning for kolisa and it did not seem appropriate.
If Steed goes through here tomorrow I will get in an extra letter too and that should count for the train I missed - that was because the boy was slow however. I won’t miss any more trains if it can be avoided. You should have my letter and ought to be in bed by this hour. Good night, sweet dreams.
Friday 9 pm. My darling: I don’t like the way you have been getting fever and coughing. Drop all this extra work and keep a chart for me of your T.P.R. +c. I am sorry you wrote Mrs. Tucker that you would not come to Dondi next week. I may have to cut the performance and go to Chissamba. If I find you are getting run down it will be necessary to take you in hand. If necessary I would stay there to keep you out of mischief as I did with Mr. Childs.
If you show any signs of TB I won’t even wait for August to take you away if there is room on the June boat. Lie low and rest until I come up to look you over. I will have the motorcycle ready for use tomorrow. The first trip will be to Chissamba so far as I can see. Dd you read that article on Bronchiectasis in the Oct. number of the Canadian medical journal? You may skip the first paragraph and read the rest. It is on page 1116.
The things Bell brought and turned over to Allison for shipment home have not reached Dondi yet. They were shipped with the Camundongo Medical Order which has reached Camundongo. There has been some slip between here and Lobito. It is one of the trials of my patience. I used to be considered patient but now I am getting over it.
My latest arrival from Moma [???] is a woman with a tumor of the right ovary. I just saw her tonight when I was in to see the Sambo (Upunda) [???] boy. He is not likely to die, there is a small abcess discharging through the abdominal wound. There is no sign of it becoming general.
Sat: Hastings brought the boys home today. Curtis fell from a tree yesterday and split his lower lip. He has fever too so I did not stitch it. The alignment is good and the edges adhering. He should not get much of a scar.
4:30 Steed has arrived and is going on as soon as he has had a cup of tea.
My motor is ready for the road when I get the chain connected. Swaddling carried off the connecting chain and left a piece of one instead.
I can rivet it with some nails for an emergency.
With lots of love - your own Fred
Am sending some cough lozenges and CCly [???]
May add a line for tomorrow’s train.
My darling Byl:
I have just come back - 8:30 p.m. from putting the children to bed. All have normal temperatures and the abdominal case seems to be on the mend. I removed his drain this forenoon. They must have considerable natural immunity to peritoneal infection. A number of cases of that kind have gotten well without any trouble. It was fortunate that I have some beds that were made here - narrow and high. To get the supports I just nailed boards to the bed frames. It did not take more than ten minutes to do the whole thing.
[There’s a diagram showing how the bed is set up so the patient’s back is reclining, not flat, and the knees are up.]
My kitchen stove has been going this evening to sterilize some dressings, towels +c. I will have a lot of stuff prepared this or next week so that any other such cases will find plenty of sterile linen. I am expecially short of wrappers. I may have to use new [?illegible?] to cover things.
Mr. Prior goes to Sachikela tomorrow for the communion service and weddings. He expects to return next Thursday. Mrs. P. will stay here in Dondi. I think Mary will stay with her over Sunday. It will be his first public speech in Umbundu. He has been practicing the wedding ceremony and offered to do ours in Umbundu. He was puzzled over some of the words. Jesu wa kolisa ondaka yoku kuela +c. He knew one meaning for kolisa and it did not seem appropriate.
If Steed goes through here tomorrow I will get in an extra letter too and that should count for the train I missed - that was because the boy was slow however. I won’t miss any more trains if it can be avoided. You should have my letter and ought to be in bed by this hour. Good night, sweet dreams.
Friday 9 pm. My darling: I don’t like the way you have been getting fever and coughing. Drop all this extra work and keep a chart for me of your T.P.R. +c. I am sorry you wrote Mrs. Tucker that you would not come to Dondi next week. I may have to cut the performance and go to Chissamba. If I find you are getting run down it will be necessary to take you in hand. If necessary I would stay there to keep you out of mischief as I did with Mr. Childs.
If you show any signs of TB I won’t even wait for August to take you away if there is room on the June boat. Lie low and rest until I come up to look you over. I will have the motorcycle ready for use tomorrow. The first trip will be to Chissamba so far as I can see. Dd you read that article on Bronchiectasis in the Oct. number of the Canadian medical journal? You may skip the first paragraph and read the rest. It is on page 1116.
The things Bell brought and turned over to Allison for shipment home have not reached Dondi yet. They were shipped with the Camundongo Medical Order which has reached Camundongo. There has been some slip between here and Lobito. It is one of the trials of my patience. I used to be considered patient but now I am getting over it.
My latest arrival from Moma [???] is a woman with a tumor of the right ovary. I just saw her tonight when I was in to see the Sambo (Upunda) [???] boy. He is not likely to die, there is a small abcess discharging through the abdominal wound. There is no sign of it becoming general.
Sat: Hastings brought the boys home today. Curtis fell from a tree yesterday and split his lower lip. He has fever too so I did not stitch it. The alignment is good and the edges adhering. He should not get much of a scar.
4:30 Steed has arrived and is going on as soon as he has had a cup of tea.
My motor is ready for the road when I get the chain connected. Swaddling carried off the connecting chain and left a piece of one instead.
I can rivet it with some nails for an emergency.
With lots of love - your own Fred
Am sending some cough lozenges and CCly [???]
May add a line for tomorrow’s train.
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T.P.R. - temperature, pulse, and respiration
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- SIBYL: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- NON-FAMILY: MISSION FOLKS ----- Related
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