cause of death - diarrhoea debility

[Sally]

I have googled without any real success. I have a man who died in his 70s of this and going by the fact that his death cert was issued by a Surgeon rather than a Coroner or GP etc., I would imagine that he died in a hospital.

Does anyone know if it was a general term for someone suffering in this way, or if it was normally caused by a specific illness or disease? We are talking 19th century.

[Olde Crone]

Even today, a severe bout of diarrhoea left untreated will quickly kill you. The very old, the very young and the sick are particularly vulnerable.

It is a general term and not specific to any disease, although if it is on a death cert there will normally be another cause of death, i.e. whatever condition caused the diarrhoea.

OC

[Sally]

Thanks OC, that is what I thought, but unhelpfully there was nothing else on the death cert and that is what made me wonder. Poor chap, what a horrible way to go!

[Nell]

I'd guess he died from dehydration. Lots of illnesses can cause diarrhoea - ranging from cholera to a stomach bug.

When you say you imagine that he died in hospital, doesn't it say on the cert where he died?

[Sally]

Nell, the cert says Pear Trees, Whitchurch, Glamorgan........I cannot find anything as yet, but that is not anything like the address where he previously lived.

Oh grrrrrrrrr, all I get is pubs and modern hospitals in Whitchurch

[Joan of Archives]

~~~~waves to Sally~~~~

My 4 x great grandfather was a Potato Dealer he died from "Chronic diarrhoea 4 years" ;(

No other cause of death was listed. This was 1848.

[Durham Lady]

My maternal grandparents first child died in 1893 at 2 months old and the death certificate just says Diarrhoea (with exhaustion) 3 days.

[Sally]

Durham Lady, three days for a small child is so very sad. Gives me shivers down my spine.

*waves madly to Helen!!!

good grief.........4 years??!!;(;(:d It shouldn't be funny but it is. Better not tell my husband cos he has had a bit of a problem over the last 12 hours:eek:

[Joan of Archives]

*waves madly to Helen!!!



Er Helen???? :rolleyes::o

[Nell]

"Pear Trees" might be a private address. What date are we talking about? Could you look for it on a census?

[Nell]

I tried googling but the only reference to a hospital I can find is a Cardiff Mental Hospital, later named Whitchurch Hospital, which didn't open till 1905.

[Sally]

;(oops thinking ~France...........sorry Joanie!!!! I meant you but was lost in thoughts of other things!

Nell, I am not sure about the private address.........I cannot find it, and the surgeon would not fit

[Elderflower]

Found this which might be of help

Cardiff 1891 Census

Description of Enumeration Districts


Sub District 1: Whitchurch Piece No. 4384

ED.11 Whitchurch & Tongwynlais

All that part of the parish of Whitchurch comprising 3 Elms, Brookside, Lower Village, Iron Row, Treoda, Glanynant Farm, Cross Road, Vicarage, Holly Bush, Pear Tree, Greenmeadow, Llwynmallt, Tongwynlais, Mill Road, and Tyisha.

Found this on rootsweb.

From Ancestry, here is the enumerator's page
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=6897&iid=GLARG12_4382_4384-0525

I also have family from Whitchurch.

Pat

[Sally]

Hi Elderflower, thank you for that - it may help me to further investigate although I am not sure that the road/area/house known as Pear Tree still exists as I can find nothing about it at all.

[Sally]

~Well, I have another one in son in law's tree.........cause of death diarrhoea debility. There is no other illness listed.

Would I be right in thinking that, given that this is a final cause of death rather than an initial illness if you get my drift, and that nothing else is shown on the death certs, these poor unfortunates were perhaps not seen by a doctor at all until they actually died?

Clearly it was not merely a bad curry that saw them off, and there was some underlying medical problem but if they had no medical records then there would have been nothing for the doctor attending the death to go on??

[Olde Crone]

I don't think there was necessarily some underlying medical problem, particularly if it is not stated on the death cert.

Basically, you get up one morning, fit and healthy and then during the day develop diarrhoea from a bad curry and die, after a few hours or days.

OC

[Margaret in Burton]

I have also found the the term surgeon was used sometimes to describe a doctor. I have some street indexes for Burton on Trent and most of the doctors are described as surgeons.

[Merry]

I agree Marg.

My ggg grandmother had 'Edward Batt surgeon' attending several of her deliveries (she was a Quaker and those in attendence had to be noted on the Quaker BC) but I bet he wasn't performing multiple caesarians on her - at least, I hope he wasn't in the 1820s! lol