Wednesday Sept 17

Ruchale is feeling
a little better, but
Josale is still coughing
much.

May the Allmighty speed
p boths recovery

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Matt's Notes

This is the third day Papa has discussed the illnesses of his sister Nettie's children, Ruchale and Josale, and prayed for their recovery. He doesn't mention what they had, but a 1924 New York Times article on childhood mortality rates cites measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough and diptheria among the most fearsome (it also credits "Schick testing and the injections of toxin-antitoxin to approximately 500,000 children" with a sharp drop-off in diptheria-related deaths).

I expect Papa was most worried about whooping cough or tuberculosis, but if you know more about this subject please drop a comment.