Mowsley Sanatorium

North Kilworth

Nr Rugby

27/10/16

Dear Mr Walters,

I am sorry for not having written to you before but we do not have much time for writing letters here.  This is the real Sanatorium although we receive the same treatment as we did at Hinckley Dispensary.  Of the two I would rather be at Hinckley, for the Dispensary there is a large old country house & it was very comfortable.  In fact I settled down there & it was almost as bad as leaving home to leave it.

While I was there I made friends with a nice, steady chap named Bartlett & I was very sorry to leave him behind at Hinckley, for it would seem better if I had a friend here.

We rise at eight seven o’clock & have a cup of milk; then we carry out the treatment by washing our chests & backs with cold water.

Breakfast at eight o’clock, afterwards make our beds & help those who are unable to.  Then there is washing up & sweeping to be done, after which we go for a short stroll.

From twelve to one we rest on our beds, no talking or reading is allowed.  At one we have dinner, wash the dishes & then we go for walks.  Some have half a mile & others up to three miles.  I have a mile & a half & if I get on well it is increased every week.

When we return from the walk we have another cup of milk before going to rest for a hour, from five until six, at which time we have “tea-supper” as it is called.

Before going to bed at night we rub our chests & backs with oil to expand them & to stretch the skin.

We have a short service here on a Sunday & I shall be very pleased to attend it, for while at Hinkley we had no service & were not allowed to attend one outside.

I have missed the Prayer Meetings on Thursday nights, but most of all I miss the Holy Communion Thursday mornings.  I often wonder whether many attend now.

It does seem a long while to miss Church, & I am looking forward to this Sunday & so are most of the other fellows, who seem to enjoy it very much.

I am still putting on a pound a week which seems slow to the way some of the fellows put it on.  One fellow put seven & a half pounds on in six days + another put two & a half pounds on in two days.

Harold says he will be on leave next month, I wish I could be at home with him, but that is impossible for the shortest course here lasts six weeks & the Doctor generally asks those who have finished their course to stay on a few weeks longer, that is if they are not completely cured.

I hope you & all your family are keeping well,

Yours respectfully

Austin Pegg

In envelope addressed to Mr. Walters, The Vicarage, Whitwick, Nr Leicester.  Letter postmarked LEICESTER 27 OCT 16