Ramanujan
suffered illnesses before and after his marriage to Janaki (1909)
and before his departure to England. From all accounts available
it appears that his health was reasonably good during the first
three years of his stay in Cambridge, despite his strict vegetarian
diet, the food shortages and his own 'cooking only once a day
or two'. This was also his most productive period in Cambridge.
From May 1917, when he was first admitted to the Nursing Hostel
in Cambridge for 5 months, he seems to have been in and out of
TB Sanatoria - Mendip Hills in Somerset (2-3 weeks in Oct. 1917),
Matlock House in Derbyshire (Nov. 1917 - June 1918), Fitzroy House
in London (June - Dec. 1918) and Colinette House, Putney (end
of Dec. 1918) - until his departure to India in March 1919.
Symptoms
of improvement showed, after considerable treatment for tuberculosis,
in the autumn of 1918. He was able to meet all his medical expenses
incurred during his illness out of his earnings accumulated through
frugal living.
