From Glasgow to Newmachar, Aberdeenshire.

[elizaga]

Hello again

An update concerning my great-aunt Nellie to those who were interested.

A few weeks ago I wrote to Alistair Tough the Glasgow Archivist concerning information about Nellie being in Gartloch Asylum near Glasgow. I received her case notes this week. Also a letter saying that the dates I gave of her admissions were most helpful in enabling him to track down the case notes. Thanks to the information I received from Fiona Watson of Grampian Archives.

Not included were the petitions submitted to the Sheriff in 1904 and 1909 which Fiona had said would include statements by two doctors giving reasons for Nellie's admissions to Gartloch Asylum. I wont pursue that.

Alistair Tough said that the case notes (like those of Kingseat) were in a large bound volume, hence the dark areas on the sides, although readable. I am grateful that they could be copied. There are six pages.

Three pages cover the April - October 1904 period in Gartloch when Nellie was admitted aged 18. There is a background history from Nellie's father and sister, my grandmother. Then a page concerning the physical examination, appearance and a description that "she used to be cheerfully disposed.". The third and last page gives some very brief but significant reports. Two each in April and May, one in June then two lines covering August and September followed by the date of discharge 8 October 1904 saying she had "Recovered". From the final report that did not sound so.

Three more pages cover the 19 October 1909 - January 30 1915 period, the first page nine lines, the second page brief paragraphs concerning appearance etc., and summary of physical condition. Then follows several short reports covering 21 - 28 October 1909, two for 1910, none for 1911, three lines each for 1913 and 1914. Finally January 30 1915 the entry " today relieved to Kingseat Asylum". Nellie died at Kingseat on 28 October 1917 aged 31 years.

Not a lot but enough to provide insight concerning Nellie's mental state of mind, the effect on her physical health, the environment, etc., and I do appreciate having these notes. In different hand writings, some words difficult to decipher.

I had hoped for a definite diagnosis but there are the briefest of notes on both 1904 and 1909 case notes. "Adolescent HPA". On the 1904 one it also says "Not ? (can't make out the letter) not D but S".

The 1915 Kingseat Admission document stated "Form of metal disorder: PDA". I'm none the wiser what that meant. I did look for HPA on the internet, most of what came up was heavy reading and I only gleaned a little here and there. The initials appear to stand for " hypothalamic - pituitary - adrenal axis". The HPA axis seems to be the "stress system" of the body, controlling the stress hormone cortisol and other stress-related hormones.

As we know, hormones are significant during puberty/ adolescence.

What scanty information I had from my grandmother relates to some of what I read. That Nellie's problems arose during/after puberty, as do certain mental illnesses. Environment, stress, etc., and events I previously mentioned possibly were involved. Her mother dying when Nellie was 9 years old, then a pregnant step-mother about 15 months later who was only about 10 years or so older than Nellie. When 16 years old she received a blow which caused problems and was very slow to heal. All stress triggers for an over-sensitive girl.

Relations between her older siblings and their step-mother were never good. Only my grandmother seems to have managed a workable relationship in her adult years with her step-mother (who died in 1950 in her eighties). Although she actually ran away from home at some younger age, went into domestic service, and was later tracked down and taken home by her father.

She herself was only 11 when her mother died. Later her fiancé was killed in the Boer War. So she also had had stresses. A quiet, gentle woman, but with a strong will . She told me that when young she had a hard struggle learning to control her temper. She certainly succeeded, neither my mother nor myself ever witnessed temper.

The second admission to Gartloch Asylum was a few months after my grandmother left home to marry, which left Nellie at home with her father then about 60, a young step- mother and two half-sisters aged 4 and 9 years. Without my grandmother Nellie seems to have fast deteriorated. Her father and step-mother were probably unable to cope with her.

But this is too long. Had Nellie lived she would have been part of my life, as were some of her siblings, and her half-sisters. My grandmother was obviously very close to her, protective, said she "looked after Nellie". Often referred to her even although she would not be drawn on what happened. To me my great-aunt Nellie was not an unknown ancestor in the distant past but part of my maternal family and a much loved younger sister of my grandmother.

It does not matter than I do not have an exact diagnosis of her mental illness. The information I have received from both the Kingseat and Gartloch archives tell me more than I ever hoped to know and also throws some light on the nature of the various family relationships in the past. It was harrowing reading though, but I was prepared for that. Such a sad young life and a premature death at the age of 31.

My thanks to everyone who expressed interest and responded to my posts, and offered advice which I appreciate.

Wishing you success in your research.

Best wishes
Eliza

[Russell]

Hi Eliza

Although not a contributor to your thread I have found it most interesting. The term PDA is ringing vague bells in the back of my head but even scurrying to dig out all my notes from the late 1950's when I started my psychiatry training has failed to bring up an answer. Bi-polar illness does not always show as swings from one pole of response to the other. It can manifest itself on one pole only with remissions so if she was depressed with initial swings up to more normal behaviour as her condition progressed each return to a depressive phase could be deeper and deeper resulting in the 'melancholia' with which she was labelled. Someone who has lost interest in living would progressively deteriorate physically over months and years resulting in her ultimate demise. In profound depression it is possible to progress to the point where even thoughts of suicide are beyond consideration.
Nowadays medication has had such a profound effect on results and quality of life, yet most of the effective psychotropic drugs are post 1960's. How our ability to care and treat has changed
Thank you for being persistent and finding out more for us as well as you. To find one helpful hospital archivist was great......But TWO

Russell

[elizaga]

Hi Russell

Thanks for your interesting response. Also for trying to find something relevant from your notes.

My impression is that mental illnesses were not as clearly defined in the early 20th century as they are today. I don't know if my great-aunt Nellie had manic depression/bipolar. The 1909 case notes give the most information, after that untl 1915 they are very brief, and I have none for her time in Kingseat, Aberdeenshire, Jan 1915 - Oct 1917. There is no one word to express how she was in the earlier period and there was a personalty showing through. I would say she was more apathetic, depressed/melancholic later. Perhaps more institutionalized.

Even although I wish I could have had copies of the Kingseat Asylum case notes covering the final three years, I am grateful for what information I have received. If I had not contacted the Kingseat Archivist I would never have known that Nellie had previously spent over 6 years in the Gartloch Asylum near Glagow. Also I am most grateful to members who offered advice and encouragement concerning contacting Grampian Archives.

Perhaps someone will benefit from my experiences concerning contacting Archivists, I was initially hesitant but they were very approachable. Bearing in mind that there is a 75-100 year closure concerning medical matters. My great-aunt died 93 years ago.

Yes ability to care and treat has changed. The case notes did make harrowing reading, early 20th century mental institutes were not environments conducive to "treatment" or recovery. I hope her final years in Kingseat may have been kinder.

Thanks again for writing.

Bet wishes
Eliza

[elizaga]

A PS to those of you who were interested in my attempt to obtain information about my great-aunt Nellie who spent some time in Kingseat Asylum. When I had contacted Fiona Watson at Grampian Archives (NHS Grampian) she sent me two documents but said she was unable to send copies of Nellie's case notes as they were in a large volume too unwieldy to fit the copier.

To my surprise last week I received an email from Fiona Watson saying that she had now found a way of copying the Kingseat case notes and in due course I received them from her. I thought it so kind and thoughtful of her to have kept me in mind.

Thanks to the initial information from Fiona Watson I had discovered my great-aunt spent years in Gartloch Asylum near Glasgow prior to her transfer to Kingseat Asylum. I now have the case notes from Gartloch Asylum near Glasgow for 1904 and 1909-1915 plus the Kingseat Asylum case notes for 1915-1917.

Still cannot quite believe I have been so fortunate to learn what I have about my grandmother's younger sister. Harrowing reading, tremendously sad, but I was prepared for that. I had given up ever knowing about Nellie. No one ever mentioned her except my grandmother. Probably the last person to have kept Nellie in her memory when everyone else had wiped her out of theirs. Described as previously a young girl "cheerfully disposed" before mental illness developed and destroyed her life.

Now I also have more insight concerning past family relationships.

Best wishes, and thanks again. Don't lose all hope of ever discovering what you search for, you just never know...

Eliza

[Currie]

Thanks for the feedback Eliza. That’s a very good result.

There are scattered references to Gartloch Asylum in Parliamentary Papers. Search for the name within quotes.

All the best,
Alan