Tag Archives: surgery

Doctor Drummond, Yarmouth Doctor

How medical things have changed!
I remember as a child we sat in Doctor Drummond’s surgery, near the Quay. It was a small room and you took your turn to go in. The door between the waiting room and his consulting room was so thin if the person seeing the doctor had a loud voice you could hear what they were saying. Many a bit of gossip was picked up while you were waiting.

Some of his treatments were mixed in a room behind his consulting room. Those in my age group will remember that awful gritty chalky stuff you mixed with water for tummy complaints. It used to stick round your teeth and when you did manage to swallow it, it made you cough. There was some awful stuff you gargled with for sore throats. It smelt like disinfectant and burnt your throat.

He would always come out on house calls in the afternoon, when he used to call on us at the Toll Gate. There was always the apple polishing that had to be done. This may sound funny but Great Uncle George always kept the apples from one of his many apple trees for the Doctor. No one else was allowed to eat them. I remember they were big and went bright red in the autumn and would last for a very long time and looked lovely polished. The Doctor was well thought of in Yarmouth, and I believe greatly missed when he was gone.
Delia Whitehead nee Hunt b 1934