User:Straffordian/sandbox

Hiya Sandbox.

Here's the problem. The letter from Sir Arthur Hesilrige exists and is readily available. I am the first person to look at that letter and interpret it in the light of modern findings about Refeeding Syndrome. As I am the originator, and a Cambridge Proffessor, a Durham University Historian and a few other people with an interest in Cromwell have all declared Refeeding Syndrome to be the solution to a 366 year old conundrum, it will be hard for me to quote anybody.

The salient points are. 1: 5,000 prisoners, many of whom have not eaten for four days. (Cromwell's letter to Parliament 4th Sept 1650) 2: An area devoid of food because of a 'scorched earth policy' (Almost every Cromwell writer mentions the scorched earth) 3: A need to get them covered and fed and treated properly (Letters and speeches Cromwell to Hesilrige 4th September 1650. 4: The march to Berwick with a guard that reflected Cromwell's lack of fit men. (No quote, it is gathered from various writings) 5: The Cabbage field at Morpeth where many gorge themselves on Cabbages, leaves, stalks, roots and all. (Hesilrige thought they had been poisoned. 6: The day after Morpeth when they begin to fall sick and die. It is here when 'Refeeding Syndrome' comes into play. Basic desc N.I.C.E. 7: REading reports on feeding Allied Prisoners from the Japanese Prison Camps similarity between symptoms. 8: Attempts to feed using Broth and fresh bread which killed the Prisoners (Hesilrige's letter). 9: A change of tactics. Milk boiled with water, then bean flour added. Successful but men could get well and die. Same happened with the Allied Prisoners of the Japanese. This was also described in Hesilrige's letter. 10: Hesilrige claimed that between 11th September and 23rd October, 1,600 men died in the Cathedral. It has to be asked how long it takes to starve a man or, more importantly MEN. 60% of the allied troops in the Japanese Prisoner of War Camps survived. They survived starvation, tropical diseases, hard labour and poor shelter from Sun and Rain. Their ordeal lasted years, not weeks. 11: It has been claimed that the Prisoners were 'frozen to death'. You don't freeze to death in Durham in September or October when under cover. 12: 'Children' of 14 years of age were found amongst the remains. The average life expectancy of a Scotsman at that time was 27/28.

13: The most important thing to consider is that these men were important to Cromwell. Protestants to assist in Ireland. Indentured Servants for the Americas. Even men who had skill which were better that their English Counterparts. The Scots were better at Salt Production, weaving, lime production. I have to ask that if you were the man who let these prisoners die out of carelessness or malice. Would you have kep your head on your shoulders?

Refeeding Syndrome has symptoms that mimic Dysentery (The Bloody flux diagnosed by Physicians in Durham) and Beri Beri (The original diagnosis in the Pacific). Add to that that Hesilrige says that they were treated by physicians, whose diagnoses always required letting blood and God help the Prisoners.


 * A user sandbox is an odd venue for this discussion. It would be more conventional to discuss it on the talk page for the article - not the article itself. However, please try and provide some context for your remarks.


 * If eminent academics support your point of view, it will be straightforward to cite them. Of course, you will have to tell us their names... Pinkbeast (talk) 16:45, 5 July 2016 (UTC)