70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Since my last notes I have been through the mill and had a most trying time even to the extent of nearly having crossed the border into the unknown. However I am still in the land of the living and feeling very much better and on the road to recovery.

To start with I had my first motion on Monday Boy Oh Boy I was hit for six straight over the boundary wall. I never felt such excruciating pain in my life, my next motion was easier and so was the next so that after that no pain was felt. Then unfortunately I developed more trouble with passing water evidently owing to a large amount of albumen being present, the pain being in the nature of a hot sharp needles. However these were small worries as I started to run up a temperature and this gave the doctors and sisters serious concern.

By Saturday 28th October I was becoming in a precarious condition with my temperature soaring, Streptocide (sulphathiozole) and quinine were being pumped into me every four hours night and day. Sunday still very bad with temperature soaring up to 105.6F but the change came on early Monday morning when I at long last broke sweat and it poured out of me like a river. I forgot to say that I also got a huge injection into my hip. However the sweating was the turning point and tho' I was still very ill for the next two days, my life had been saved. Thank God. 

However I am now on the mend and free from fever and getting my appetite back slowly. They stopped giving me streptocide as from noon on Friday, but still continuing with the quinine. Prof Digby and Dr Kirk gave me the full benefit of their experience during my bad attack and did everything for me so also did the sisters especially Sister McLeanon ((maybe Sister McLellan?)).

Prof Digby hopes to remove a tag from my bottom I think about Wednesday next using a local. It isn't very much but is an irritation and not quite the finished job. Otherwise my bottom is top hole and later I should never be bothered with bleeding piles any more. Everyone has been most solicitous on my behalf with J. Finnie and D. Bone very anxious fortunately most kind.

Now thanks a lot for your dear and loving letter of 4th July 1943 which I received on Thursday 26th October it was just grand and oh so loving and encouraging Nell. Later Prof Digby told me of the grave and anxious time I had given them, real anxiety was felt by him especially.