Document One - Manchester

Manchester Novr 12th 1850 

 

Gentlemen 

I hope you will excuse the liberty that I am taking by intruding on your time but I am compelled by necessity for I have been in a bad state of health for a long time so that a large portion of the food disagrees with me the pease soup is mixed with other ingredients so that it is impossible for a large proportion of the inmates to use it without being ill afterwards in the stomach and bowels the porri^d^ge has such a large portion of Indian meal in it that it causes it to be like gruel that their bowels are relaxed to a very great extent every day and the bread is likewise mixed with a large portion of Indian meal so that it is very disagreeable and in hot weather absolutely stinks the milk and tea is reduced in quantity one fourth in the helpless by introducing small pots and the rice milk is adulterated with some other grain that I cannot possibly eat use it I have been without dinners three days a week for a considerable time owing to my inability to eat them and I made application <to> the Governor to allow me something that I <cou>ld eat and he referred me to the Doctor but <he> would not make any alteration so I was compelled to ask for my discharge but the overseer <wo>uld not give me any other relief than in doors <w>hat I am to do I Know not as I dare not go to the medical ward again as I have not <reco>vered from the effects of ^the^ last time I was kept on low diet near thirteen weeks until <I> was reduced to such a state of weakness that I could scarcely walk and my legs swelled up much with the least exertion the sick rooms [***] them a quick introduction to the Pine St. [school] of Anatomy. There was eight subjects sent there [***] week five on one night it is very unpleasant <for> the sick hearing the vehicle coming for them [now] every night and they dare not make any complaints ^on any subject^ as they well know that Mr. Sutton <will> make their lives very disagreeable if what <I> had to say came to his ears. I have great difficulty to get breath attended with a  bad cough and occasional spitting of blood with a [deadly] pain at my heart and lungs and a great <pain> and soreness at the pit of the sthomach – porrigdge pea soup & rice ilk when I use <make> me feel far worse. The doctor told me himself that I could not get a worse thing than [porridge] for my complaint 

Yours Respectfully 

Squire Armitage 

 

Glossary

pease soup = a savoury dish made with peas 

Indian meal = Irish name for a type of porridge- corn related 

Gruel = a thin, watery porridge  

Adulterated = food product that doesn’t meet legal standards e.g. has added inedible items to increase the quantity and enables the producer to profit from it e.g. chalk added to flour 

Anatomy = study of the human body  

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