Larbert lunatic asylum.

[petbro]

Hi,

I'm looking for contact details for the Larbert Asylum if anyone can help please? My grand uncle died there in May 1902 age 24. Its a little hard to decipher the cause of death, but would appreciate any ones guesses. Thanks

[lemur41]

Hi petbro,

Hope this explains it

Cause of death was Phthisis, a chest illness , a form of TB. Infectious and not pleasant. You didn't necessarily have to be poor or living in bad conditions to contract it.

 Several of my ancestors died from the same thing

Sorry can't help with contact details for the Asylum, someone may spot your post as I move it up the board again.

Cheers
lemur41

[petbro]

Hi petbro,

Hope this explains it

Cause of death was Phthisis, a chest illness , a form of TB. Infectious and not pleasant. You didn't necessarily have to be poor or living in bad conditions to contract it.

 Several of my ancestors died from the same thing

Sorry can't help with contact details for the Asylum, someone may spot your post as I move it up the board again.

Cheers
lemur41

Thank you, lemur41. Much appreciated. Yeah, quite a few of my relatives seem to have succumed to TB, though i hadn't heard of it as phthisis. Most death certs stated tuberco etc etc.

Thanks again
 

[Forfarian]

I'm looking for contact details for the Larbert Asylum if anyone can help please?

See Fergie38's post on the first page of this thread - the surviving records of the Stirling District Asylum at Larbert are in Falkirk Council Archives.

[petbro]

I'm looking for contact details for the Larbert Asylum if anyone can help please?

See Fergie38's post on the first page of this thread - the surviving records of the Stirling District Asylum at Larbert are in Falkirk Council Archives.

thanks, mate. i had read the entire thread, but couldn't work out if anythink had been finalised regards who to contact today.
btw Lol

[lemur41]

Hi petbro

TB & Phthisis are not  quite the same things, but would need similar nursing care. Check it out in a dictionary if you haven't already done that

 It's  likely that your Grand Uncle was in the Larbert Asylum for nursing care for the Phthisis rather than a mental health problem.

Good luck with your search for more info.

lemur41

[Forfarian]

TB & Phthisis are not  quite the same things, but would need similar nursing care. Check it out in a dictionary if you haven't already done that

That is very interesting - I always thought phthisis was an older or informal name for tuberculosis of the lungs.

My dictionary says
"phthisis: a wasting disease; tuberculosis, especially of the lungs"
"tuberculosis: consumption or phthisis"
"consumption : wasting of the body; pulmonary tuberculosis"

I would be interested to know what is the difference between phthisis and tuberculosis?

[Scottish Janealogy]

The records of Stirling District Asylum are in the care of Stirling University Archives and part of a project to make them accessible. See http://libguides.stir.ac.uk/content.php?pid=337208&sid=5607777 for information on access etc

[Added]  As your uncle died in 1902 there should not be any issue over access to his records, unless there is a restriction due to the last date of entry in a particular volume.

[lemur41]

Hi Forfarian

A good point to raise and I'm not exactly sure, but my thoughts run on how both diseases can be contracted.
 The diagnosis of Phthisis was still in use in the medical world about 15 years ago, had a friend given that diagnosis. I was shocked at the time, because as below I had come across the disease
Point of infection proved to be a pet bird, friend  made a good recovery with modern drugs.

With my family the loss of 5 of them over an 18 year period all dying in the same house. They were well to do, well nourished, lived in the same house over 40 years, it's nearly 200 years old and still standing.
1st death was 20 year old, dc reads Pulmonary Inflammation +Phthisis

 followed 5 years later by 15 year old sibling ( who was 10 when brother died) , mother 6 years later, presumably she had nursed both boys as well .
Then 30  year old sibling 6 years later who was nursed by youngest sister age 27 and she died 18 months after that. All 4 of their dc's  just say Phthisis

My x 2 Gt. Grandfather was one of the survivors, + one sibling who emigrated, and one who married and moved county.

I have no idea why the disease ran such a long course  through the household, and also no idea if they had any  contact with birds !!!http://cdn.rootschat.com/forum/Smileys/classic/smiley.gif

Can birds be a source of infection  for TB in humans