Old Josh, in: Syphilis, Gabriela's Fate (#68)
Old Josh, in: Syphilis, Gabriela’s Fate
(Hospital Number 11, Nashville…! 1891”)
Maria Hamilton, filles de joie
(An Account) Throughout the years, Old Josh continued to spend a little time in Shantytown, he didn’t like going to Ozark all that much, but shantytown, he had lots of friends, mostly dead now, he was in his late 80s, and in 1891, he had learned Gabriella now thirteen and her mother, near thirty was in a Nashville near the “Soldier’s Syphilitic Hospital.” It was a three story brick building completed four years before the war; a 140-bed facility, for soldiers with venereal disease, the surgeons were normally volunteers. She was in a special section of the hospital, a little ways away.
She was considered among the filles de joie, of that time, especial with soldiers, her mother, Gabriela’s grandmother, was in prostitution during the Civil War period, her daughter, Maria, who moved from Nashville, to Ozark, was born in 1861, during the start of the war, and like Gabriela, was brought into the occupation as she was. As often things are, or end up, one generation follows the other, and its behavior is duplicated as well. There in the main part of town were a number of whorehouses madams, at their homes. A dollar was the going rate. There among the hospital complex was Hospital Number Eleven, the Female Venereal Section, located on Market Street near Locust Street in Nashville, Tennessee.
During the summer of 1864, the hospital began admitting black prostitutes, as well as mixed blood, giving them medical care, Dorothy Hamilton, Gabriela’s grandmother, never made it to the hospital, she died in 1863, and they closed it down in 1892. The Soldiers Unit Hospital was on Line and Summer streets in Nashville, an old school house.
Even during this period of time, while Maria and Gabriela were in treatment, they saw the soldiers using a ‘peep-show box,’ which displayed nude photos, which attracted many soldiers, it would appear, even at its deadly points the dying soldiers still wanted a sex show. Mara Hamilton died in 1891 and Gabriela in 1892. Emma Hightower, never saw Gabriela again, her one and only friend, and Josh never told her Gabriela’s fate, but she perhaps knew, folks did talk, and rumors were they no longer owned the little house, Gabriela left for them: Gabriela, she was buried with the red shawl Emma gave her so many years ago.
It might be note worthy to mention, antibiotics were available to help during those days, unfortunately once the scabs and blisters, the supia-type lesions of the third –stage appeared of syphilis, it was pretty much understood, death was immanent.
8-15-2008 (#68)
(Hospital Number 11, Nashville…! 1891”)
Maria Hamilton, filles de joie
(An Account) Throughout the years, Old Josh continued to spend a little time in Shantytown, he didn’t like going to Ozark all that much, but shantytown, he had lots of friends, mostly dead now, he was in his late 80s, and in 1891, he had learned Gabriella now thirteen and her mother, near thirty was in a Nashville near the “Soldier’s Syphilitic Hospital.” It was a three story brick building completed four years before the war; a 140-bed facility, for soldiers with venereal disease, the surgeons were normally volunteers. She was in a special section of the hospital, a little ways away.
She was considered among the filles de joie, of that time, especial with soldiers, her mother, Gabriela’s grandmother, was in prostitution during the Civil War period, her daughter, Maria, who moved from Nashville, to Ozark, was born in 1861, during the start of the war, and like Gabriela, was brought into the occupation as she was. As often things are, or end up, one generation follows the other, and its behavior is duplicated as well. There in the main part of town were a number of whorehouses madams, at their homes. A dollar was the going rate. There among the hospital complex was Hospital Number Eleven, the Female Venereal Section, located on Market Street near Locust Street in Nashville, Tennessee.
During the summer of 1864, the hospital began admitting black prostitutes, as well as mixed blood, giving them medical care, Dorothy Hamilton, Gabriela’s grandmother, never made it to the hospital, she died in 1863, and they closed it down in 1892. The Soldiers Unit Hospital was on Line and Summer streets in Nashville, an old school house.
Even during this period of time, while Maria and Gabriela were in treatment, they saw the soldiers using a ‘peep-show box,’ which displayed nude photos, which attracted many soldiers, it would appear, even at its deadly points the dying soldiers still wanted a sex show. Mara Hamilton died in 1891 and Gabriela in 1892. Emma Hightower, never saw Gabriela again, her one and only friend, and Josh never told her Gabriela’s fate, but she perhaps knew, folks did talk, and rumors were they no longer owned the little house, Gabriela left for them: Gabriela, she was buried with the red shawl Emma gave her so many years ago.
It might be note worthy to mention, antibiotics were available to help during those days, unfortunately once the scabs and blisters, the supia-type lesions of the third –stage appeared of syphilis, it was pretty much understood, death was immanent.
8-15-2008 (#68)
posted by Dennis and Rosa Siluk at 8:44 AM
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