Isolation Hospital

[thomasedwards]

Hi everyone
I recently found online that one of my relatives died at the age of 5 in the Isolation Hospital, Epsom, Surrey. It didnt say what she died of but does anyone know what an Isolation Hospital was, or what would you have been there for?
Tom

[Marie C..]

She may have had scarlet fever,diphtheria, measles, or any of the infectious diseases that killed children at this time. Isolation was to prevent spread of infection.Marie

[Geoffers]

The isolation hopsital appears to have been part of the London County Asylum at Horton Hospital - there is a photograph of it here. (It's the fourth photo down). The isolation hospital may have been used for other infectious diseases.

The asylum was for the mentally ill, but the hospital records database indicates that there was also a malaria therapy centre there. perhaps the surviving hospital records may shed light on this?

[thomasedwards]

Thanks Marie and Geoffers

So you think she had an infectious disease, so the hosptial would have treated both mentally ill and and sick people then?
Thanks for clearing it up for me!

[Geoffers]

So you think she had an infectious disease, so the hosptial would have treated both mentally ill and and sick people then?

I don't know, but it seems possible. Hospitals for the mentally ill would be fairly secure and as such may have been thought a good place to have an isolation wing/hospital to ensure the patients were quarantined from the general public.

The best way to check the unsubstantiated information you have is to obtain a copy of the death certificate, which will include cause of death.

Are you familiar with searching the GRO indexes and applying for certificates? If not, please ask and we'll try to help.

[thomasedwards]

Thanks Geoffers
Yes I think I shall order her death certificate.
On the link you gave about the hospital records database, it says they have records on Admissons and discharges. Do you think that it would be worth me seeing if it says anything in it, if so how would I go about doing this?
Sorry for all the questions!

[Geoffers]

People differ as to how far they wish to take research - I'm always interested in checking any possible leads and original records - admissions may well be worth a look. The database will tell you where the records are held but I doubt that they will be available online, so access from Ireland will be difficult.

But looking at hospital records may be jumping the gun, I think the death certificate is the important first step.

[thomasedwards]

Thanks for all your help Geoffers!
I'll order the certificate and take it from there.
Thanks again, Tom.

[helachau]

In this area the "Isolation Hospital" was always well out of town. I've always associated isolation primarily with the treatment of TB - plenty of fresh air.

[Peter Goodey]

there was also a malaria therapy centre there

Strangely, this does not refer to the treatment of malaria. There is a more specific mention elsewhere in the Hospital Records Database.

"Centre for treatment of General Paralyis of the Insane by malarial therapy"

This sounds bizarre but a Wikipedia article says that

"...for a brief time malaria was used as treatment for tertiary syphilis because it produced prolonged and high fevers ...This was considered an acceptable risk because the malaria could later be treated with quinine which was available at that time".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis