Retired civil servant Barbara Salter was diagnosed with TB in 1959, aged just 13. The dairies she found during Covid lockdown have formed the basis for her book Bed Absolute: A Teenage Diary of TB in the 1960s
TB – a thing of the past? When Barbara Salter was researching the background to her book, Bed Absolute: A teenage diary of TB in the 1960s, she was surprised to find that not only was it still around but some strains are now drug-resistant and deaths are on the increase.
She was only 13 when diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in 1959, although new drugs had recently become available, bed rest and fresh air were still seen to be essential so she was in hospital for over a year.
During the Covid pandemic, Barbara, a retired Senior Civil Servant from Witney, Oxfordshire, came across the diaries she had kept as a teenager.
“Reading them made me think about young people feeling as trapped and restless at home in lockdown as I’d been back then in hospital,” she says. “Maybe my diaries could show life can come bouncing back and that some bad experiences can make us stronger.
“Because of my age, I was placed in an adult ward – in Crossley Hospital, Cheshire, where I lived – and had to grow up fast, alongside a sex worker and a predatory doctor.”
That might sound grim but Barbara’s zest for life kept her going, as did the illicit parties and flirtations, she added.
“Although in many ways my life was on hold, which was frustrating and hard at times, I managed to have fun! Then, it felt like a bad experience but now I see the resilience I developed there helped me later in life.”
The book continues with entries after Barbara returned home, navigating the fall-out from her interrupted adolescence and education while having to face an unfolding family tragedy. Her book includes an adult commentary, background information, and a brief account of her life since.
Barbara’s book was published to critical acclaim from the British Society for the History of Medicine, and the Wellcome Collection Trust want the book and diaries for its archive. But the responses she values most have come from readers themselves…
“Whenever I’ve given a talk, people tell me how TB has affected them or someone in their family,” says Barbara. “What’s striking is how often these stories have been kept hidden because of the stigma TB once carried, which has not completely gone away.”
She added: “I’m pleased my book has struck a chord with so many, including some younger readers who had never heard of TB before. I hope by talking openly about my experience, I can help to raise awareness to ensure it never again becomes the mass killer it once was.”
Bed Absolute: A Teenage Diary of TB in The 1960s, is available on Amazon.
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