Just read of another epidemic on page 39 in "The Miller's Dance". In February, 1812, putrid peripneumonia swept the county. Dr. Enys was extremely busy and we are reminded that Caroline looked on epidemics as a "useful way of regulating and reducing the surplus population. To fight them was to go against nature" Thankfully she did launch a campaign to aid the needy.
I would like to join the Polkark game. Should I go next?
Just read of another epidemic on page 39 in "The Miller's Dance". In February, 1812, putrid peripneumonia swept the county. Dr. Enys was extremely busy and we are reminded that Caroline looked on epidemics as a "useful way of regulating and reducing the surplus population. To fight them was to go against nature" Thankfully she did launch a campaign to aid the needy.
I would like to join the Polkark game. Should I go next?
I am intrigued by your references to the Poldark Game?
Hi Tabetha - Are you interested in joining the Poldark game? If so you can find the rules on the site. The game begins with the first person entering 'Ross Poldark'. Thereafter each player in turn posts the name of a character who has been in the same place as the character before. There are more rules but this is the outline. I have found that playing this game has drawn to my attention characters I haven't remembered. So as well as being fun to play it is also a learning process. We have three people who want to play but need another so if you would like to join us please let Ross Poldark or me know.
Thanks Stella I will read the rules, and yes I would love to play
Ross, Hollyhock and Tabetha please let me know when you are ready to start the Poldark Game. I suggest that we all read through the rules beforehand.
I am intrigued by your references to the Poldark Game?
Hi Tabetha - Are you interested in joining the Poldark game? If so you can find the rules on the site. The game begins with the first person entering 'Ross Poldark'. Thereafter each player in turn posts the name of a character who has been in the same place as the character before. There are more rules but this is the outline. I have found that playing this game has drawn to my attention characters I haven't remembered. So as well as being fun to play it is also a learning process. We have three people who want to play but need another so if you would like to join us please let Ross Poldark or me know.
Thanks Stella I will read the rules, and yes I would love to play
I am intrigued by your references to the Poldark Game?
Hi Tabetha - Are you interested in joining the Poldark game? If so you can find the rules on the site. The game begins with the first person entering 'Ross Poldark'. Thereafter each player in turn posts the name of a character who has been in the same place as the character before. There are more rules but this is the outline. I have found that playing this game has drawn to my attention characters I haven't remembered. So as well as being fun to play it is also a learning process. We have three people who want to play but need another so if you would like to join us please let Ross Poldark or me know.
Thanks to Little Henry I was reminded of the larger than life Dr. Sparrock (Jeremy Poldark, WL, pp. 61-67). How unfortunate that he was cut from later editions; he was such an intriguing character, much more interesting that either Choake or Behenna. In addition to paludal fever (malaria), Sparrock and Dwight mention tertian cachexia. I was surprised to learn that there were malaria epidemics in Cornwall.
Dr. Sparrock was dismissive of the self-proclaimed medical authorities of the day and their wildly conflicting treatment theories. Not much has changed in that regard; we still get wildly conflicting medical theories and advice. Although it wasn't contagious, scorbutus plagued the villages. Caroline diagnosed both the cause and the treatment in Jeremy. She said to Dwight, "But scorbutus is only scurvy, isn't it? Thousands of our sailors suffer from it and are no worse when they get home (p.250)." She bought Dwight loads of oranges to help fight the outbreak. In addition to several 'morbid sore throat' (diphtheria) epidemics, cholera and typhus outbreaks seemed to keep Dwight busy.
Much of the US is in lock-down as well and I hope the world heeds this time-out.
How are things going now in the US ref the new Coronavirus thread....?
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"Perfection is a full stop .... Ever the climbing but never the attaining Of the mountain top." W.G.
Thanks to Little Henry I was reminded of the larger than life Dr. Sparrock (Jeremy Poldark, WL, pp. 61-67). How unfortunate that he was cut from later editions; he was such an intriguing character, much more interesting that either Choake or Behenna. In addition to paludal fever (malaria), Sparrock and Dwight mention tertian cachexia. I was surprised to learn that there were malaria epidemics in Cornwall.
Dr. Sparrock was dismissive of the self-proclaimed medical authorities of the day and their wildly conflicting treatment theories. Not much has changed in that regard; we still get wildly conflicting medical theories and advice. Although it wasn't contagious, scorbutus plagued the villages. Caroline diagnosed both the cause and the treatment in Jeremy. She said to Dwight, "But scorbutus is only scurvy, isn't it? Thousands of our sailors suffer from it and are no worse when they get home (p.250)." She bought Dwight loads of oranges to help fight the outbreak. In addition to several 'morbid sore throat' (diphtheria) epidemics, cholera and typhus outbreaks seemed to keep Dwight busy.
Much of the US is in lock-down as well and I hope the world heeds this time-out.
Hollyhock - given that we are all in lock down would you be interested in playing The Poldark game? Perhaps others would be interested in this too?
-- Edited by Stella Poldark on Wednesday 8th of April 2020 06:33:27 PM
This topic made me think of when Dwight went to visit Dr. Sparrock in "Jeremy Poldark" to discuss the spread of paludal fever in Sawle. Dr. Sparrock says "Whole families sweating. And the children feeble and ugly, prominent ears and tumid bellies . . . then a whiff of measles and off they pop . . . I shouldn't be astonished at a severe epidemic." Later on in the book, though, Dwight chastises himself for his incompetence in not seeing that this fever masked a more serious complaint - scorbutus (scurvy). "These listless blotchy ailing people of Sawle, with their nose bleedings and their sallow skins, were the victims of an outbreak of scorbutus." Since scurvy is a lack of Vitamin C it's no wonder there were many cases as poverty was so widespread in the villages which leads to malnutrition. It wasn't just sailors who suffered.
What a different world it was in 1790 Cornwall where someone from Illuggan was considered a "foreigner" compared to our global world where we are all at risk because of all the travelling being done all over the world. I was quite surprised at the list of countries where Canadians are stranded and trying to get back home still. I'm reading "The Stranger From the Sea" as I've started from the first book and slowly getting to the final book. I wanted to comment that playing the "Poldark Game" made me more aware of all the minor characters mentioned that I never noticed before.
Take care everyone.
Little Henry - The conversation which Dwight had with Dr Sparrow In first edition 'Jeremy Poldark' was very interesting and it should not have been edited out from subsequent editions.
Like you, I have found 'The Poldark Game' brought to my attention the minor characters that I didn't register when reading the books. During the game my attention was also drawn to some characters that I hadn't registered at all when reading the books. If anyone would be interested in playing the game please let Ross or me know and we can set one up.
Thanks to Little Henry I was reminded of the larger than life Dr. Sparrock (Jeremy Poldark, WL, pp. 61-67). How unfortunate that he was cut from later editions; he was such an intriguing character, much more interesting that either Choake or Behenna. In addition to paludal fever (malaria), Sparrock and Dwight mention tertian cachexia. I was surprised to learn that there were malaria epidemics in Cornwall.
Dr. Sparrock was dismissive of the self-proclaimed medical authorities of the day and their wildly conflicting treatment theories. Not much has changed in that regard; we still get wildly conflicting medical theories and advice. Although it wasn't contagious, scorbutus plagued the villages. Caroline diagnosed both the cause and the treatment in Jeremy. She said to Dwight, "But scorbutus is only scurvy, isn't it? Thousands of our sailors suffer from it and are no worse when they get home (p.250)." She bought Dwight loads of oranges to help fight the outbreak. In addition to several 'morbid sore throat' (diphtheria) epidemics, cholera and typhus outbreaks seemed to keep Dwight busy.
Much of the US is in lock-down as well and I hope the world heeds this time-out.
This topic made me think of when Dwight went to visit Dr. Sparrock in "Jeremy Poldark" to discuss the spread of paludal fever in Sawle. Dr. Sparrock says "Whole families sweating. And the children feeble and ugly, prominent ears and tumid bellies . . . then a whiff of measles and off they pop . . . I shouldn't be astonished at a severe epidemic." Later on in the book, though, Dwight chastises himself for his incompetence in not seeing that this fever masked a more serious complaint - scorbutus (scurvy). "These listless blotchy ailing people of Sawle, with their nose bleedings and their sallow skins, were the victims of an outbreak of scorbutus." Since scurvy is a lack of Vitamin C it's no wonder there were many cases as poverty was so widespread in the villages which leads to malnutrition. It wasn't just sailors who suffered.
What a different world it was in 1790 Cornwall where someone from Illuggan was considered a "foreigner" compared to our global world where we are all at risk because of all the travelling being done all over the world. I was quite surprised at the list of countries where Canadians are stranded and trying to get back home still. I'm reading "The Stranger From the Sea" as I've started from the first book and slowly getting to the final book. I wanted to comment that playing the "Poldark Game" made me more aware of all the minor characters mentioned that I never noticed before.
This is an interesting topic that got me thinking. The "putrid throat" or morbus strangulosus which took Julia's life comes to mind. In Demelza, this sickness is not described as an epidemic per se, but the results are devastating to many. It seems this illness came to Cornwall 40 or 50 years earlier - in mid-18th century.
We here in Los Angeles have been in "shelter in place" mode for 3 weeks. Everyone I know is doing lots of reading and house cleaning. I have started, yet again, The Angry Tide, my favorite Poldark novel.
Greetings Hollyhock - It has puzzled me why people are not posting here. We, in the UK, are allowed out only for food shopping and daily exercise with only a member or members of our household. So we have lots of time for other things although I am not finding it difficult to fill this time.
Your reference to Ross's having influenza has sent me running to TSFTS. One thing I do like about this enforced imprisonment is the time it makes available to read. I am currently reading The Loving Cup.
I cannot recall all the epidemics in the books. It would be interesting to record them all here.
Hope everyone is coping during this pandemic. It makes Dwight's frustrations with diphtheria and other epidemics seem all the more real. Ironically, Ross survived the deadly Bussaco battle with barely a scratch only to be hospitalized by influenza in TSFTS. When Demelza first saw him after his return, she said he was a "little greyer, pale of face" from his illness but was otherwise fine. Ross would have found social distancing a challenge but social distancing makes this a good time to re-read the saga.
