« Heathrow Strikes... | Main | In the Dog House.. »
August 14, 2005
“Per ardua ad astra”
The Guinea Pig Club 7.35 pm BBC2
I kind of watched the above documentary on BBC2 last night. I say ‘kind of’ because really I was subjected to half an hour of Littleone shouting in my ear, ‘but when are the guinea pigs going to come on?’ So I had to spend another half hour trying to explain the history of our beautiful language (with a bit of war thrown in for good measure) to a four year old, by which time the credits were rolling and still she proclaimed that she didn’t much like the programme that was supposed to be about guinea pigs.
Oh well, one more to cross off my list of possible future professions, perhaps Purple Elephant should not be a primary school teacher, not unless we want a generation of school kids wandering around more confused than they already are but where was I? Guinea pigs but not THAT sort of guinea pig...
One thing you don’t know about me is that I’m fascinated by surgery, particularly reconstructive surgery. I think because I don’t fully understand from a biological perspective I am in awe of what can be done from a social and historical point of view. That probably explains why I couldn’t help giggle when one of the ex servicemen humorously explained that his nose was made from a patch of skin from his stomach, which means that occasionally he has to shave his nose. OK so perhaps it’s just the two of us sharing that particular sense of humour.
The plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe (later Sir) (1900-1960) was a pioneer not only because he experimented with fairly new techniques in reconstructing, hands, jaws and eye lids (amongst many other things) but also as a result of his holistic approach to rehabilitation and reintegration back into society. The Guinea Pig club was started by McIndoe’s burns patients at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead mainly as a drinking club where the patients could socialise between the many operations needed to ease the pain and rebuild their faces. He encouraged his patients to journey into East Grinstead town and persuaded the locals to accept and welcome the men who had the kind of disfigurements these people were not likely to have seen before. As a result East Grinstead became known as "the town that did not stare".
The men were not forced to wear convalescent blues and were welcome to wear their own clothes or uniforms if they so wished, so that they could retain their dignity and individuality. To top it all off barrels of beer were kept on the wards (can you imagine that today?!) the whole concept seems to revolve around beer and merriment which from where I’m standing, is not a bad thing.
We particularly love the Guinea Pig Anthem, with the line quoted in the title of this post which apparantly means ‘We’d rather drink than fight’ Here are all the words for your entertainment and because it sums up the spirit of the inspiring men and their club;
The Guinea Pig AnthemWe are McIndoe’s army,
We are his Guinea Pigs.
With dermatomes and pedicles,
Glass eyes, false teeth and wigs.
And when we get our dischargeWe’ll shout with all our might:
“Per ardua ad astra”We’d rather drink than fight
John Hunter runs the gas works,Ross Tilley wields the knife.
And if they are not careful
They’ll have your flaming life.
So, Guinea Pigs, stand steadyFor all your surgeon’s calls:
And if their hands aren’t steady
They’ll whip off both your ears
We’ve had some mad Australians,
Some French, some Czechs, some Poles.
We’ve even had some Yankees,
God bless their precious souls.While as for the Canadians -
Ah! That’s a different thing.
They couldn’t stand our accent
And built a separate Wing
We are McIndoe’s army,
(As first verse)
Even when the patients were finally able to leave Queen Victoria’s, McIndoe’s interest did not end there. Often he would aid their further reintegration, using his art of persuasion to ensue they were able to work in fields that interested them.
There are over 200 surviving members of The Guinea Pig Club and they still meet at least once a year, usually in the pub in East Grinstead which has been named after them.
Some more to add to the list of books I must read before I die,
Richard Hillary - The Last Enemy, (Some moving extracts here)
Peter Williams, McIndoe's Army: The Story of the Guinea Pig Club and Its Indomitable Members.
Edward Bishop The Guinea Pig Club
I should add that as I write this, just to confuse matters, Littleone is crawling about my feet pretending to be a guinea pig. Nope still not that sort of guinea pig..
Posted by purple elephant at August 14, 2005 12:22 PM