Salonika Medical Queries

[jp1885]

Hi everyone,

 

Researching my great-uncle Pte 12934 John Lee Price, 9th Gloucestershire Regiment. I’ve found a couple of medical documents for him on Forces War Records, which has raised a few queries.

 

The records state that in March 1918, whilst serving in Salonika, he was admitted to 31 CCS with “inflammation of connective tissue neck, face and right hand”.

After 2 days he was sent to 28 General Hospital with “inflammation of connective tissue general”.

He was there for two months before being sent to 8 Convalescent Depot in May 1918.

 

Questions if I may…

 

“Inflammation of connective tissue” – so I’ve searched for this condition in this esteemed forum and generally online and have found that it’s basically a catch-all description for everything from skin conditions or ulcers to arthritis and general wear & tear. Can anyone narrow down the condition in the context of the Doiran front in Salonika in 1918? Would malaria be a contributing factor?

 

If he stayed at 28 General Hospital for 2 months then he must have had some sort of medical procedure (though I suppose I’d need to know the answer to my first question to discover what). Considering the length of his stay here, roughly how long would he then spend at 8 Convalescent Depot?

I ask because the 9th Gloucestershires left Salonika in July 1918, but my great-uncle stayed and was transferred to the 2nd Gloucestershires. I wonder if this is because he was still convalescing when the 9th GLoucestershires shipped out?

 

According to the Forces War Records transcription of the record for 28 General Hospital, my great-uncle’s battalion is listed as the 9th Gloucestershires, but over this has been written “302”. Any idea what this means?

 

Somewhat vague questions, for which I apologise, but thanks in advance.

[TEW]

Quote

“Inflammation of connective tissue” – so I’ve searched for this condition in this esteemed forum and generally online and have found that it’s basically a catch-all description for everything from skin conditions or ulcers to arthritis and general wear & tear

 

The more I've seen on ICT shows it to be a skin condition, ulcers, arthritis and general wear & tear would not come under ICT. Somewhere I had a Categorization of skin conditions and ICT was alongside boils and blisters whereas impetigo was in another skin condition catagory.

It may have been a catch all phrase rather like NYD (not yet diagnosed) and perhaps the ICT was refined later to something more specific.

 

Not being a medical person myself but if he had malaria that would show on the record? If he did have malaria then perhaps that makes a person more susceptible to other ailments. I have seen records where ICT is quite a debilitating condition.

 

As to the transfer; guess work really but he would have been struck off from the 9th battalion when he became sick and would have been sent to a unit that needed men. If the 9th were at capacity he would'nt have rejoined them but the shipping out idea holds good as well.

 

Looked at the FWR and can't add anything for the 302 apparently written above 9th Gloucestershires.

TEW

[jp1885]

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply TEW!

So ICT could be some kind of ailment akin to boils and blisters? Must've been quite debilitating to have them on his face, neck and right hand. I suppose such things must have been lanced, kept free from infection and allowed to heal over the following two months. (I too am not a medical person).

I only mention malaria as it was so prevalent on the Salonika front (though, on reflection, maybe not in March).

Being struck off isn't something I've considered. It's certainly a good reason not to rejoin the 9th!

Edited 3 May , 2017 by jp1885

[TEW]

ICT is an odd thing, numerous other skin conditions are identified which are still prevalent today, maybe sometimes with an updated name. The 'Connective Tissue' is skin and it's inflamed but that happens with various other conditions that get a proper medical name. Scabies caused by lice inflames the skin but the statistics keep the two complaints far apart from each other.

 

I've wondered if eczema or allergies could produce ICT.

 

TEW

[jp1885]

I wonder... Some of my relatives suffered from psoriasis - another possibility maybe?

[kenf48]

While ICT is a 'catch all' diagnosis it reflects medical terminology and knowledge at the time and was difficult to treat.    

 

The characteristic of this family of diseases is that they are autoimmune diseases and include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and skin conditions.  The symptoms depend on the identified disease but again there is a common thread of fever, fatigue, joint pain, skin lesions and rashes and breathing difficulties.  Today the symptoms can be controlled by steroids and other drugs not available in WW1,they may have used topical treatment for the skin conditions but I imagine all that was really available was rest.

Another characteristic is that relapse can occur and this is also seen in the records.

 

The disease and its treatment today is described in this medically reviewed paper

http://www.healthline.com/health/collagen-vascular-disease

 

It's still not known what causes the body to turn against itself but one suggestion is prolonged exposure to UV sunlight and other environmental factors as well as exhaustion and general debility.  All were present in Salonika as well as malaria there were other insect vector diseases, as mentioned above ticks and lice for example.  As a chronic, untreatable condition he probably spent a long time at the convalescent depot, and then may have been employed on 'light duty' or 'base details' and as noted above would have been taken off strength.

 

 I've seen records of men in Salonica whose original unit shipped out while they were in hospital/convalescing, most, if not all the units that left in 1918 were destined for the Western Front so the sick and the lame would not be included.   There are, in the records many men left behind by their original unit who were being transferred from the IBD to the MGC and ASC after the Armistice in October 1918.  I wonder if '302' refers to a Company of one of the Corps units. 

 

Ken

 

[jp1885]

Hi Ken, thanks very much for your reply, and for clearing up what ICT means in this instance. I'm pretty certain now that this was the cause of his transfer from the 9th to the 2nd Gloucesters.

You make a good point re. '302', although there's no mention of MGC/ASC on his medal roll and his service number doesn't change - still a possibility though.