Dora Inge Folwell aged 26 ....... and finally

[Rachel]

Here's the previous thread

http://genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=3347

and we have now visited the Surrey History Centre and taken photographs of the entries for Dora.
The Post-Mortem Register has detailed information :D the others only give her age, duration of her stay (4 yrs 1 month) etc. so there's no indication of what treatment she may have received/endured.

She died suddenly after an Epileptic fit.

When I've sorted out the info I'll post it on here but in the meantime, here is the daily menu from 1908.
Reading the first sentence makes me wonder how many of the inmates actually received this amount of food :(

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/FoodatStEbbas2.jpg

[Rachel]

The main building today ~ think the plaque at the top says 1901

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/Epileptic-Colony-main-buildingweb.jpg

[Rachel]

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/Horton-cemetery2010web.jpg


It certainly took some finding ~ massively overgrown but the railings are down in a couple of places so it is possible to get in
(not great when wearing strappy slingbacks) :D

[Muggins in Sussex]

Rachel - that is sad, but fascinating

Thank you

[anne fraser]

The food would compare favourably with modern hospital food.

[Stella]

Would be interesting to see the results of the post-mortem Rachel.

[Rachel]

Would be interesting to see the results of the post-mortem Rachel.

Stella, you should know how quickly I type ! ;(

Have deciphered the first page and almost typed it, not helped by Auntie Pussycat 1 :)

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/Weeweb.jpg


The food doesn't sound too bad does it Anne :)

[Rachel]

OK ..... here's page one of two

'DORA FOLWELL (1888 – 1914) ~ POST MORTEM


Date of Admission ~ Nov 9th 1910
Date and hour of Death ~ 20/12/14 at 4.35 am
Autopsy ~ 21/12/14 at 11 am
Age 26
Dressmaker

Mental Disorder on Admission and at Death ~ Epileptic Insanity

Summary of Clinical History of Case :-

She pursued a course suggesting Dementia Praecox associated with Epilepsy
She was dull, resistive & impulsive on occasion
She died suddenly after an Epileptic fit

External Appearances :-

State of Nutrition ~ considerable wasting
State of Pupils ~ equal moderately dilated
P.M. Rigidity ~ present

External Marks, Bruises, Bed Sores, Injuries, or Signs of Disease :-

Bruise on outer side of left orbit
Bruises on both legs – slight

Head :-

Scalp ~ nothing of note
Skull (Symmetry, thickness, density) ~ Symmetrical, tables moderate thickness
Dura Mater ~ slightly thickened
Subdural Space, Fluid ~ nothing of note
Pia-arachnoid ~ Pacchionian bodies well marked, stripped readily
Sub-arachnoid, Fluid ~ nothing of note
Vessels of Brain ~ rather congested

Encephalon :-

The Brain is well formed & shows no evident wasting in any part
Cerebrum, weight 44 ¼ grams.

General appearance :-

Right Hemisphere, weight 19 ¾ grams
Left Hemisphere, weight 19 ¼ grams
Appearance of Sulci and Convolutions :-
The Sulci were not unduly developed & the convolutions were squarish & full in outline


Cortex :- Vascularity, Depth, Striation ~ Cortex not much diminished, slightly congested striation present

White Matter and Basal Ganglia ~ nothing of note

Lateral Ventricles :- not enlarged – no frosting present
Fourth Ventrical :- nothing of note – no frosting noted

Cerebellum, Pons and Medulla, weight 5 ¼ grams :- nothing of note

Special Remarks upon Nervous System, including the Spinal Cord, Peripheral Nerves and Sympathetic System'

To be continued .........




http://www.turnipnet.com/radio/dickbarton.wav

Tune in on Monday for the next exciting installment ...........

[Margaret in Burton]

Rachel

I don't like cats but I love your cat

[Rachel]

:D Thank you Marg
She's really very tiny and squeaks quite a lot. Her companion is half her age and I think they're in love :D He washes her several times a day, which she does enjoy but she often starts hitting him and then pretends he started it !

Naughty girl :)

[Joan of Archives]

Oh this is really sad Rachel, I haven't read your other thread yet but will do, it reminds me of the day I found my Great Grandmother's records of her years in a hospital/asylum in Cambridge, she spent 20 years there and her notes make such sad reading. She was buried in a pauper's unmarked grave in Newmarket, which is actually rather fortunate as the hospital cemetery is now a car park :rolleyes:

[Stella]

Thanks Rachel, nothing outstanding there that could have been the cause of death, so look forward to the next instalment.

[Langley Vale Sue]

I'm glad you got to see the PM report on Dora and that you went to see what's left of St Ebba's. I think the main building will be turned into executive apartments eventually. That's what has happened on the other 'Mental Hospital' sites in Epsom.

I did tell you the Cemetery was overgrown didn't I, :( but it was much, much worse a few years ago before the volunteers started clearing the undergrowth. At least there is a plaque on the fence now and a small memorial in Horton Lane to the patients who are buried there.

At least Dora has not been forgotten now that you have 'found' her.

[Rachel]

Hi Sue
Here's the Memorial :)

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/memorial1web.jpg

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/memorial2web.jpg

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/memorial3web.jpg

[Rachel]

How much fluid bile ? help please :)

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/Picture1-15.png

[Merry]

I don't know what that says, but the gall bladder has a storage capacity of 40-70ml (that's 8-14 teaspoons).

[Rachel]

Hmmmmmm ... thanks Merry
It can't be 2 or 3 LBs then

[Merry]

Is it a very badly written fraction of a lb?

I suppose if it wasn't a factor in her death then we must suppose, whatever it says, it was within the normal range?

[Rachel]

Hmmmmmm ... two thirds of a LB ?
Why not put it in ounces ? ............ think it looks like LB ........ :confused:

[Merry]

I agree - seems too much though, really....

[Rachel]

Page 2 ~ will fill in the blanks in due course



Special Remarks upon Nervous System, Including the Spinal Cord,
Peripheral Nerves and Sympathetic System :-


Neck :- Structures including Cervical Glands ~ Thyroid nothing of note. Cervical Glands not enlarged.

Thorax :-
Ribs – Softness, Fragility, Signs of Fracture ~ friable but no signs of fracture

Right Pleura (adhesions, fluid) ~ nil
Left Pleura (adhesions, fluid) ~ nil
Trachea, Bronchi and Bronchial Glands ~ Trachea somewhat congested. Bronchial Glands not enlarged
Lung, right, weight ~7 ¼ grams ~ nothing of note
Lung, left, weight ~7 ½ grams ~ nothing of note
Pericardium ~ nothing of note – no increase of Pericardial fluid

Heart :- 6 ½

Right Cavities, Valves and Walls ~ The tricuspid valve barely admitted 3 fingers – Valve healthy – Pulmonary Valve healthy.
The wall was rather wasted – Practically no fat present

Left Cavities, Valves and Walls ~ The Mitral Valve showed slight atheroma – The wall was markedly contracted & of degenerative appearance, myocardial degeneration being present

Aorta and Coronary Arteries ~ Aorta very slight atheroma near aortic ring & in course of aorta
No atheroma of Coronary arteries

Abdomen :- Marked diminution of fat
Peritoneum and Omentum :-

Liver (and Gall Bladder), Weight ~ 38 ½ grams :- nothing of note. Gall bladder contained about ?? 3 ?? of fluid bile
The organ was small

Spleen, weight ~ 3 ¼ grams :- Small but no notable changes

Kidney, right, weight ~ 3 ½ grams :-
Kidney, left, weight ~ 4 ¼ grams :-
Shewed some foetal lobulation, stripped easily. The Cortex was not diminished nor the pyramids distorted. Early subacute parenchymatous nephritis was present. Stellate Veins well marked

Ureters, Renal Artery :- nothing of note
Pancreas :- nothing of note
Stomach :- no changes apparent Adrenals ~ nothing of note
Small Intestine:- nothing of note Mesentric Glands ~ not enlarged

Large Intestine (Nature of Contents) :- Nothing of note. Contains a little dark semi-solid material

Urinary Bladder :- nothing of note
Organs of Generation :- Uteris infantile in type – being small & poorly developed

Joints :-

Microscopical and other Special Notes :-* No TB or Dysentery – Ovaries sent to Claybury Laboratory for examination

Prelim ? Report ~ General appearance of fibrotic condition

Cause of Death :- Immediate :- Epilepsy

Other Pathological Conditions :- Myocardial Degeneration
General wasting of organs gen…..lly & of the musculature


Certified Cause of Death :-
Signed A A W Petrie



*A special note should be made in every case concerning the presence or absence of Tubercular or Dysenteric lesions. If signs of either of these diseases are found, it is requested that it be noted, also whether the lesions indicate old standing diseases which have become active, and whether, taking all the facts into consideration, the patient did or did not acquire the disease after admission to the Asylum.

[Kit]

She doesn't sound like she was very well even without the epilespy. I'm also guessing she didn't get the "full" meal but seeing the menu was very interesting.

[Rachel]

Hi Toni
I was really hoping for something in the records to indicate her state of health when admitted but there's nothing else and the previous censuses reveal nothing. One glimmer of hope is someone on GR who has her brother's wife in their tree, although it's doubtful they'll have any info, have sent a message ~ no reply so far.

[Rachel]

Pics of Horton Cemetery

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/HortonC2web.jpg http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/HortonC5web.jpg http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/HortonC7web.jpg http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/HortonC6web.jpg http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/HortonC4web.jpg http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/HortonC3web.jpg

[Rachel]

2 pics of St Ebbas and 1 of what is now part of the housing estate ~ was probably called West Park Hospital

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/St-Ebbas1web.jpg http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/St-Ebbas2web.jpg



http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/Epsomweb.jpg

[Rachel]

For comparison, here are 3 pics from this website

http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/HospitalCluster.html

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o228/rachelscand/Epileptic-Colony-3-old-picsweb.jpg

The tower in the third pic, and peeping out on the left in pic one, I believe is the one in my first two pics. (above)

[vallee]

I think its very sad to have an Epileptic Colony ??? sounds like its catching, talk about a stigma .

[Stella]

Yes Val, reminds me of the Leper Colonies in Africa.

[Kit]

It is sad. OH's boss is epileptic too. However he has only had 8 seizures in abt 20 years as it is controlled. Mind you number 7 was a beauty, he was driving and rolled his car. He was off work for a long time, unable to drive and do his normal job. He was lucky though. But to be locked up when for the most part there is nothing wrong is awful. I do have to say the building and grounds look nice but if there were seriously ill mental patients there as well I can see it not being as nice as it appears.

[Rachel]

Found this website with architect's impression of how St Ebba's will look

http://www.thetimechamber.co.uk/Sites/Hospital/EpsomCluster/St%20Ebbas/Develop.php

don't know if I'm allowed to do a screenshot to put the images on here, so have resisted the urge


http://www.thetimechamber.co.uk/Sites/Hospital/EpsomCluster/St%20Ebbas/Ebba.php