Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 542
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[Page 542]
You saw for yourself what a nation of soldiers were made up by Johnny Smith and the rest of the men, backed up by the women all the time, only the blind were uninformed in this regard.
My regards to the Regans when you see them. Old Anderson is a dear chap. My regards to him when next you see him, also to Nellie. Her son is growing a fine specimen.
Why should there be epidemic diseases about Sydney? Major Purdy (Health officer to the city Council of Sydney) was with me to day when I opened your letter, he had not heard of the epidemics. He did not understand the business. I asked him how it was that the people in the Egyptian villages managed to live, in view of the filthy surroundings midst which each lived during the whole of life, you can not conceive the degree of dirt that is in their residences and every where round about, yet for thousands of years have they been here, and now the population is rapidly increasing. I do not know what is the death rate in these villages. In Cairo half the children born are said to be dead by the time the fifth year is reached. How any one of them survives for so long is to me a mystery. If there were with us so much neglect of the simplest, and of all sanitary laws, the place would be a hot bed of disease, and epidemics would be rife, here there has not been a great epidemic for a long time.
I must write to Mr Hurley some day, though I fancy that he has not answered my earlier letter. My regards if you see him, also to his family.
Poor old Keohan, he made of lifes journey a burthen to himself and others, I noticed before leaving home that he was not keeping well, but I hoped that his grievances would keep him alive. R. I. P. Hope that your letter of condolence included my sympathy.
How fascinating Maria must look in her new hat, in these hard times a new head covering must be a luxury, set the fashion of wearing a shawl, black for preference, which is the commonest of the customs here, and very becoming it often is, the head beneath it is given a distinguished style when the edge is artistically arranged and well carried. Try it. Set the vogue. It will rapidly catch on in Sydney.
Please answer the invitation to the eight hours dinner for October, and say that though I am far away I wish them all good fortune. People are kind to ask about the old man. Thank them please.
The summer here has been by no means trying. Dr Schuber said this evening that we may expect some severe heat during the end of September. Schuber belongs to Riga, his brothers and others live there and own considerable property, he expects that they have all gone Eastward to Moscow or elsewhere. German Bill will likely bee master over the city before long, it is hardly likely that the Russians will stop from running so soon.
The flies have
[Major John Smith Purdy DSO, Health Officer of Point Piper, Sydney, joined the army on 28 August 1914, and embarked aged 42 from Melbourne on 20 October 1914 on HMAT A9 Shropshire as Medical Officer with Headquarters, Divisional Ammunition Column. He served with the AAMC in Egypt, the Dardanelles, England and France and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 28 August 1917 for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He returned to Australia in mid-1918.]