Paralysis on death cert

[sally]

I have just received a lovely little wad of death certs (two of which were sisters who died on the same day in their twenties of Scarlet Fever - was it usually fatal in the 1800s?), and the cause of death on one was just "Paralysis"......... nothing else. Does anyone know what this might have been referring to in the late 19th century please

[Mary from Italy]

I have just received a lovely little wad of death certs (two of which were sisters who died on the same day in their twenties of Scarlet Fever - was it usually fatal in the 1800s?)

It was often fatal until quite recently

and the cause of death on one was just "Paralysis"......... nothing else. Does anyone know what this might have been referring to in the late 19th century please

Could be any number of things. Sometimes syphilis, which is often referred to as "general paralysis of the insane", but it could be a stroke, for example.

[Anne in Carlisle]

Scarlet fever was always very serious until the use of antibiotics. Luckily it is one of the few 'childhood' diseases which is not a virus and can therefore be treated with antibiotics.

In 1954 when my brother had it the only thing that kept him out of an isolation hospital was that my granny 'barrier nursed' him in our home. He was about 4 at the time. I didn't get it!!

Anne

[sally]

Thank you for that - I didn't realise that Scarlet Fever used to be so dangerous.
The Paralysis thing is so very vague isn't it, and I did wonder about a stroke because it was something that happened to quite a few members of this branch of the family, including his daughter who had a stroke in her forties and died the following day. I doubt that it would have been syphillis, he was working too hard as a farmer in the middle of nowhere in Yorkshire, but you never know do you!

[maggie_4_7]

Scarlet Fever was still fatal in 1915 when my mother's older sister died of it at 3 years old - 6 years before my mother was born.

[Little Nell]

Strokes are usually recorded as apoplexy. Paralysis could mean a lot of things, its nicely vague and the paralysis itself would have been caused by another condition altogether.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Scarlet fever is a streptococcal infection and left untreated, in severe cases, causes septacaemia which can lead to paralysis just before death.

Peopkle do not normally directly die of paralysis - it is a condition of the body, not a mortal affliction, although in earlier years where nursing of paralytic patients would be rudimentary, they would quickly died anyway, usually from lack of nutrition and fluids.

OC

[Joan of Archives]

My mother had scarlet fever as a child in the 1920's & was very ill on an isolation ward in hospital, she nearly died. Not even her mother was allowed to have contact with her.

One of the complications of scarlet fever is I believe Rheumatic fever which can leave you with heart problems afterwards.

[maggie_4_7]

Scarlet fever is a streptococcal infection and left untreated or not recognised can in severe cases cause all sorts of complications not least rheumatic fever and can ultimately lead to congestive heart failure.

[Ann Bentley]

In the nineteen forties, my elder sister had what my mother called 'Scarletina'. I know she was very ill, and they cut all her hair off. Was this a milder form of Scalet Fever do you think?
Ann

[Cloggie]

According to the NHS website: "Scarlet fever is also known as scarletina, although this term is sometimes used to refer to a mild form of the disease."

[Gwyn in Kent]

In the early 1950s my sister aged 3 had scarlet fever and went into an isolation hospital.
Everything that Mum took to the hospital to be handed to her,comics, jigsaws etc. ...no visiting or contact allowed, ..had to be burnt when she left there.

[Phoenix]

When I had scarletina, my mother made me promise not to make too much of it as she'd packed me off to school for several days, disregarding my complaints that I felt ill

I believe that its impact is far less than it was and it's gradually disappearing from the world.

[Just Barbara]

My MIL had scarlet fever as a girl in the 30s, she was very ill and it left her with damaged eyed sight.

[sally]

My husband remembers having scarlet fever as a child, and he was confined to his bedroom until better, at which point his room was fumigated with something that he said smelt absolutely terrible.
Thank you all for your input, and it seems that as far as the one that died simply of Paralysis is concerned I will never know what it referred to - perhaps the doctor was in too much of a hurry to put anything else!

[Penelope]

Redacted

[sally]

Penelope thank you for that, it's a very interesting thought, and perhaps if the doctor was not aware of the cancer (as is highly likely from what you said) then he would have had little else to go on. I am sorry to hear about your father.

[Penelope]

Aw thanks, Sally. He's one of the reasons I do family history - it was him set us off this years ago, wanting to find out more about his family.

But yes, whenever I see 'paralysis' mentioned I wonder if it's something like that as with no pain, etc - the first way it might present to a 19thC person would be as someone becoming paralyzed.

Dad is the little boy in my avatar!

[sally]

Oh what a wonderful photo to have Penelope...........this hobby of ours keeps family and ancestors both recent and very long gone, alive and in our thoughts. (In my case, every flipping night!)

[BigShaz McCreadie]

I doubt that it would have been syphillis, he was working too hard as a farmer in the middle of nowhere in Yorkshire, but you never know do you!

You would be surprised Sally as it was rife back then and working hard and living in the middle of no-where counts for nothing.

My 3xGreat Grandfather was also hardworking and living in a small village Scotland (middle of no-where) yet he still managed to die of Syphillis and they named it on his death cert (1913)

OH's 2xGreat Grandfather's death cert shows that he died of General Paralysis in 1868 and the records for poor relief show that he had Syphillis.

Also a person could have syphillis for many many years before finally dying from it. (I work in an STD clinic...lol)