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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: LizzieW on Tuesday 10 March 09 13:16 GMT (UK)
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On the death certificate I have of one of my g.g.aunts who died aged 21, the cause of death is given as:
"Softening of the brain of 2 months duration"
Has anyone any idea what this means? I've looked at the usual websites of archaic medical terms but can't find anything meaningful.
If it is of any consequence, she gave birth to her second child on 23 January 1881 who died on 26 March 1881 from Bronchitis. My g.g.aunt died on 7 June 1881 about 2 months after the death of her baby. Although I imagine she was heartbroken at the death of her baby, she did also have a 3 year old son. Tragically, he too died a couple of months after his mother from peritonitis.
Lizzie
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Hi,
The only reference I can find in archaic medical terms is "result of stroke or haemorrhage in the brain, resulting in a softening in that area"
Jen
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I'm sure someone with a bit of medical knowledge will be able to give you the definitive answer, but it seems that 'softening of the brain' covers brain haemorrhage, inflammation of the brain (could this be encephalitis?), and deterioration caused by malnutrition.
Greensleeves
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A localised softening of the brain substance, due to haemorrhage or inflammation. Apparently there were three varieties, distinguished by their colour and representing different stages of the morbid process, are known respectively as red, yellow, and white, softening. I also understand that softening of the brain was a sign of advanced syphilis.
Stan
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There is quite a lot about softening of the brain at http://www.rootschat.com/links/05sq/
Stan
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Encephalitis is an interesting thought as in 1991, my daughter in law ended up in intensive care at about 8 days post natal with encephalitis and it was only because the drug Zovirax had recently become available as an intravenous drug, that she survived. D.I.L is really skinny, but her face and head were so swollen that she was unrecognizable.
If it was encephalitis, and she swelled up like my D.I.L. then I guess they would call it softening of the brain. Otherwise - how would they have known? Did they do post mortems in 1881?
Stan - I doubt she had advanced syphilis at 21, especially as her husband was only 23 at the time himself. Not only that, when he died 5 years later he died of Phthisis with no mention of Syphilis. Also her father didn't die until 1904, so not a hereditary thing
Lizzie
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It's possible for a person to be born with syphilis, or any other STD, passed on from the mother.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_syphilis
Cheers,
China
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China - I haven't found her mother's death yet, but she was still alive on the 1901 census, so presumably she didn't have syphilis either. I'm sure you couldn't live with it from at least 1860 when her daughter was born until after 1901, that's more than 40 years.
Lizzie
ps. I'm not disputing that people did have syphilis, I had a g.uncle who died in an asylum from a syphilis related illness, I just don't think it was the case in this particular family.
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I have a death cert (1866, aged 28) with this as COD as well. As he was a Mariner, presumed it could be related to malnutrition or any tropical disease picked up on travels. I think it is a pretty generic term with any brain swelling with unknown cause at this time in history.
Cheers,
trish
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Although softening of the brain was a sign of advanced syphilis, it does not mean that if you had softening of the brain you had advanced syphilis :)
Stan
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Thanks to all, I think this thread has gone as far as it's likely to do now, so I'll change it to Completed.
Lizzie
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Hi Lizzie. Record has it that my second great grand father died from the same. My research has shown that this is a result of a stroke or brain hemorrhage. Best.
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Welcome to Rootschat. I guess it could have been a brain haemorrhage, my problem is my g.aunt was only 21 when she died. I'm inclined to believe it was something to do with giving birth less than 6 months before her death.
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I had access to a book that had old no longer used medical terms and it basically said what I found when I Googled Softening of the Brain tonight. I am interested because that is the cause of death of one of my great great grandfathers. Here is what I found: Softening of the Brain, noun, informal archaic. Mental deteriation, especially senile dementia, supposedly resulting from degeneration of the brain tissues. I think that all the ideas presented in this forum are valid. I also think that since Alzheimers disease was not understood when this term was being used that this could easily have been what it describes as well. My father had Alzheimers and we now know that the brain does go through deteriation of the tissues until certain brain processes now longer work.
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Another hypothesis:
Maybe problems with toxaemia during the pregnancy, high blood pressure due to same and post partum problems between delivery and death.
Regards Crowsfeet
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Crowsfeet
It could have been something like that, although it was her 2nd child and usually pre-eclampsia leading to toxaemia happens during the first birth. Perhaps it did and it was worse with the 2nd pregnancy. Or perhaps the doctors just didn't know what her problem was.
Lizzie
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On the death certificate I have of one of my g.g.aunts who died aged 21, the cause of death is given as:
"Softening of the brain of 2 months duration"
Has anyone any idea what this means? I've looked at the usual websites of archaic medical terms but can't find anything meaningful.
If it is of any consequence, she gave birth to her second child on 23 January 1881 who died on 26 March 1881 from Bronchitis. My g.g.aunt died on 7 June 1881 about 2 months after the death of her baby. Although I imagine she was heartbroken at the death of her baby, she did also have a 3 year old son. Tragically, he too died a couple of months after his mother from peritonitis.
Lizzie
My grandfather died from the at the age of 75. This was in 1903, when I asked my mother what it meant her response " He had gone a bit funny as he got older" suggested confusion or some other type of senile dementia. Other instances and uses of the term have suggested similar conditions. At the age of 21 though it cannot be senility. I have often wondered when doctors were first trained to a reasonable level of professional competence. Even into the early 20th century some certifications make me wonder.
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I have often wondered when doctors were first trained to a reasonable level of professional competence. Even into the early 20th century some certifications make me wonder.
I agree, my father's death cert shows he died from Laryngeal Cancer. Ok he'd had that but was cured (voice box removed and radiotherapy). He'd also had bowel cancer previously also cured. In fact he died from prostate cancer which had spread to his bones. The problem was he had moved into a nursing home about 6 weeks before his death, and despite being signed up to a local GP - about 200 yards across the road - the GP never saw him alive. So he had to find something to give as cause of death and seeing the tracheostomy in his throat, just decided that would do. The coroner was more thorough, he spoke to me on the 'phone and asked had my father been ill for some time, I suggested he asked the hospital and his previous GP for their notes, which he did. Then he 'phoned me again to say there was no need for a PM as it was obvious his death was caused by prostate cancer!!
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Crowsfeet
It could have been something like that, although it was her 2nd child and usually pre-eclampsia leading to toxaemia happens during the first birth. Perhaps it did and it was worse with the 2nd pregnancy. Or perhaps the doctors just didn't know what her problem was.
Lizzie
The 'safety' aspect of pre-eclampsia not happening as often with the second only holds true if it's the same father, different paternal genes resets the risk to the same as first baby
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I assume it was the same father, they were married and lived together with their first born, a son. The baby girl died aged 2 months from bronchitis and 3 months later the mother died from Softening of the Brain, and 2 months later the son died of peritonitis. So between March 1881 and August 1881, the husband lost his wife and 2 children. He remarried 3 years later, but sadly died himself a year after that from Phithis.
The married couple were brother and sister respectively of my g.grandmother and g.grandfather, so I was related to them on both sides of the family.
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Early on the thread there was a query as to whether postmortem exams were carried out in the 1880s and the answer is yes, they were.
My ancestor died in the asylum; her death certificate states that she died of cancer of the stomach. I have managed to read her asylum medical records and it clearly states that a postmortem exam was to be held. The records of that were held in a different book at the archives office and I decided not to read that!
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I thought it was a reference to some form of dementia. On the 1871 census one of my ancestors is recorded as "Imbecile from softening of brain" he was 45 at the time. But it could also be a result of a stroke/hemorrhage.
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ohbodder - everyone says they thought it was a reference to some form of dementia, but my g.aunt was just 21 when she died of softening of the brain only 2-3 months after the birth of her daughter who had already died. She'd had the disease for 2 months, so my guess is that something catastrophic happened around the time of her giving birth.
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i remember my mother telling me about my maternal great grandfather, who apparently was a more than useful carpenter and metal worker though he had no formal training and was an Ag Lab. Apparently when he was in his late 70s he replaced the bottom of a saucepan for my great grandmother. Only problem the old boy had developed dementia, and though the new bottom was a perfect fit with no leakages around it (testimony to his skills) he had made it in WOOD so it was quite useless for cooking. Before anyone asks I am now 76!! so who knows, these postings my be the precursor to twilight. At least I shall never know
By the way, my great grandmother lived to be 91, and was the only one of her generation who lived in my lifetime. My Aunt, and my mother (2 of her grand daughters lived to be 98 and 99 respectively. Most of the women in the family live into their 90s, and usually without showing dementia symptoms.
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ohbodder - everyone says they thought it was a reference to some form of dementia, but my g.aunt was just 21 when she died of softening of the brain only 2-3 months after the birth of her daughter who had already died. She'd had the disease for 2 months, so my guess is that something catastrophic happened around the time of her giving birth.
Can the strains of birth bring on a stroke?
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Can the strains of birth bring on a stroke?
Less likely nowadays, but if her blood pressure was very high - pre-eclampsia or even full blown toxaemia - it would have been very likely.
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Thanks for clarification Lizzie.