Medical question re fever St Ninians area

[mirrin]

One of my ancestor's death certificate shows that he died from a fever and that he had been ill for 6 weeks with no medical attendance.  On the same page a 9 year old child died from a fever lasting 22 days and seen by a doctor. I would like to know what type of illness might  cause this fever -  any suggestions.  Any one know the history of this area- was there an outbreak of disease at that time circa 1859.

Thanks   

[Skoosh]

There was a cholera outbreak in 1854.

Skoosh.

[mirrin]

  A son in the family died the same year so I suspected something like that.  Thanks for the information.

[Viktoria]

 Generally speaking Cholera was a very quick acting disease , people died very soon, just days ,after the first symptoms of  diarrhoea and vomiting. Death is often from exreme dehydration.
 Cholera is usually not  found in isolated  cases, the cause often being contaminated water supplies so
it affects groups of people and can be traced as was the outbreak in Manchester (1840`s)when a cholera map was drawn up by the  medical officer. The duration of the illness was often only a very few days and death was the most likely outcome.Very few survived. It is nowadays mainly a tropical / third world disease because we  more fortunate people have pure water supplies and adequate sewage disposal. Sadly it killls very many in refugee camps in areas where thousands of people gather after  fleeing conflict or crop failure. Viktoria.

[mirrin]

Thank you for that interesting reply.  I checked out the son's death age 17, no cause is given.  Can you tell me why that would be.  He died in Feb. 1859 and his father in March. On the sons death cert. there is another teenager whos cause of death is given as fever, 8 days.
I am just guessing here, is it possible it is typhoid fever?

[Skoosh]

Mirren,  excellent website on conditions at the time, cholera & typhoid outbreaks etc'

http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/468.html

http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/487.html

Skoosh.

[Viktoria]

 That  info  from the relevant time was  influenced by the limited knowledge available then.
The writer mentions bad air which was thought to be condusive to creating the  disease. The bacillus had not yet been identified , haven`t we come a long way.                                                                                                                                          In the M/C outbreak the only supply of drinking water available to residents of the worst affected area( Angel Meadow)was the heavily polluted River Irk, the banks of which higher up near Smedley Vale were lined with tanneries which emptied their effluent into the Irk.
 ( Gosh I`m feeing sick at the thought!) In Spring Gardens there was a fountain, hence Fountain St. but that was quite a way to go for water and there was none in the houses. In addition pigs were kept in the closed courts  and one open privy for goodness knows how many people with no access to water , it`s a wonder any one survived. But the link between  the  prevailing conditions and resulting illness had not  yet been properly  identified it seems .,
 I`m not sure when it was, possibly in India by British Army Doctors, as the death rate  from Cholera was quite high of children and wives of  serving soldiers .I`ll have to look it up. You`ve got me really intrested now. Aren`t we lucky---!I feel guilty when I leave the tap running when cleaning my teeth, I do try to remember and think of women in Africa walking five miles with  rusty oil cans on their heads to get some muddy water. Why do they live so far from it? There must be a valid reason.
 Cheerio. Viktoria.

[mirrin]

Thank you both. What really interesting sites.