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Crippled Childrens Hospital

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FruFru

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Hello All,

I am new to this forum and hope that someone might be able to assist with my research (dissertation at B'ham Uni) into the history of a hospital for crippled children connected with the Royal Orthopeadic Hospital (Woodlands), Bristol Rd.

Any pointers to info will be greatfully received.

FruFru
 
Because the children needed to be educated and were in hospital those who were fit enough to travel were conveyed between the hospitals and homes to schools by corporation buses. the crippled children spent two days a week at George Street West and at Little Green Lane.
Baskerville House Harborne had a residential School for physically defective children boys and girls who suffered from rheumatic conditions
The Children Hospital founded in 1862 in Broad St later became known as Broad St Orthopaedic Hospital moved to the Woodlands in 1993 but the Crippled Children's Hospital was already established their ....here it is on a 1940's map
 
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Thanks cromwell and postied, that has given me more background than I could have hoped for, I like the map as it shows the rural nature of the setting, giving me a better mental image.

I have had a reply from the city archives, they hold some records of the venue, annual reports, booklets and the like, and I will be heading in to there on Friday for a looksee (rubs hands together with anticipation).

Cromwell, which map was your thumbnail from? I would like to include the image in my work and need to check copyright and give an attribution/citation.

Thanks again,

Fru Fru
 
FruFru, a couple of stories for you to put 'meat on the bones.'

I had a friend who was treated at the Woodlands in the 1950's. She had been born with one leg wasted and shorter than the other and during her childhood had worn a boot with a raised sole to enable her to walk with a slight limp. By the mid 50's she was in her teens and had left school, she so wanted to be 'normal' and wear a pir of pretty shoes. The treatment she had was extremely painful, bones in her leg were broken and pins were inserted and attached to a kind of crank shaft, a handle was turned by a measured amount each day, so stretching her leg. She eventually wore shoes that matched, although they had to be made by a company in town called Days, as one foot was smaller than the other.

In retrospect I guess she was a guineapig, and she always said had she realised how much pain she would have she would not have had the treatment.

At the same time there were people in 'Iron Lungs', to assist breathing, after Tuberculosis. They were completerly encased in a metal tube, and to help them to see something other than the ceiling there was a mirror fitted on an arm and jutting out over the head. What a long way we have come since that not too distant time.:)
 
Di.Poppitt,

Jeepers, it does put it into perspective when it has a human image. The procedure with the leg lenthening sounds like an Ilizeroff (sp?). Oddly enough, my OH was offered one in 2002 as part of a limb salvage proccess following an RTA so we havent come that far at all. The pocedure was invented by a Russian battlefield surgeon who used metalwork from farm machinery to make his first efforts.

Having spent years with OH and the orthopods (20 ops so far) I have come to understand that there are very few really new procedures and much of their work is with metal and screws and a work bench. A couple have been honest and explained that they buy some of their tools from local DIY shops.

I am surprised to read of the Iron lung, I didn't connect the venue with the whole TB thing.

Roll on Friday....

Thanks,

FruFru
 
In the 60's I worked for 12 months with R.F.Willis delivering Fruit and Veg to all the hospitals in that area and got to know them quite well ..hence the interest
 
In the Mid 50's as a teenager I too was in the Woodlands, my bed was next to a young lady who was to be the firt person to have the procedure discribed by Di Because of the terrible pain she went through we would be allowed to talk to each other during the night aftre the screws had beenadjusted on the equipment, the pain she went through was horrendus, and after a while the docotors could not give her any more morphine it in cas she became addicited
Despite this we had some laughs, she was a very brave girl and lovely person could she be the same girl Di
maggie
 
Hi All, just to update this thread, I have found some excellent material in the city archives. They have a fabulous press clipping book from the '30's which leads me to ask a question: There is a pre war picture of two celebs standing next to a "NigNog" cot, does anyone know what type of bed this might be (the child in it was white so it defies the obvious)?

Also, any one heard of The Hurst St Mission? It pre-dates the Cripple Children's Union and had 80 beds for "cripple" children.

FruFru
 
I wasd just about to post the same site Colin. I had noticed sometime ago
that Stephen, who runs the "Sterling Times" web site is about to write about Nig and Nog Clubs in the the North. Seems that Nig and Nog refers to boy and girl in northern parts.
 
The Hospitals at the time you are talking about relied heavily on people generosity and all their wards had sponsored beds with notices over the beds which would say
This cot is maintained by the licensed victuals association ..or
This cot is maintained by the Jewish Children's Guild of Kindness
so their where weird and wonderfully notices over the beds
Nog means a drink so not sure of the connection but with slang anything goes but the term Nig nog in those days was not derogatory and a with time the meanings change
 
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Thanks, yes, it looks like one of their many charity beds. From my research, they were constantly desparate for money, issuing pleas and requests on a regular basis. The Woodlands was a gift from the Cadburys in 1909 as the Union was in desparate need of a convalescent home, they had a place at Chadwick End but it held only 20 or so children. They added a school in 1914 and a surgeon by 1929 when the Queen Mother opened a new 100 bed unit with an operating theater, physiotherapy block and nurses home.

The Hurst Street Mission had a record of just 80 cripple children in the whole of B'ham in 1896, this rising to 330 in 1898 and the Union was formed to cope with the need. By 1905 they had 1152 children on the register, hence the need for Woodlands.

I have heaps more data and am going back for more on Wednesday. I will try to dig deeper on the Mission.
 
I have a vague recollection that the Nig Nog Club was associated with one of the Birmingham newspapers, The Evening Despatch or The Birmingham Evening Mail, perhaps this post will jog someones memory who might have more details.
 
Thanks, the other thread conneted the dots for me; "Uncle Mac & Uncle Ernest" were the celebs in the image, the clipping was from the Despatch, job's a good'un.

I wonder how the term Nig Nog became connected to the race issue? Blimmin odd how a meaning can change in such a short time.
 
Please do you or anyone have any more info or pics on the school Baskerville in harbourne in the 1900's - my Dad went there for a few years and i am trying to get some info for him.

previous info..
Because the children needed to be educated and were in hospital those who were fit enough to travel were conveyed between the hospitals and homes to schools by corporation buses. the crippled children spent two days a week at George Street West and at Little Green Lane.
Baskerville House Harborne had a residential School for physically defective children boys and girls who suffered from rheumatic conditions
The Children Hospital founded in 1862 in Broad St later became known as Broad St Orthopaedic Hospital moved to the Woodlands in 1993 but the Crippled Children's Hospital was already established their ....here it is on a 1940's map[/quote]
 
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