Syphilis

[bearkin]

I just discovered my GtGt Grandfather with discharged from the army in 1863 after only 3 years in service at the age of 23, with secondary syphilis and syphilitic cachexia. Syphilitic cachexia googles as tertiary syphilis, which sounds really serious and possibly fatal or dehabilitating. He was certainly too ill to stay in the army. He went on to live to 78 and fathered loads of children from 1868 onwards with no problems, and carried on working to 65.

Is it possible he recover or may be it was a misdiagnosis? Do any rootchatters have any knowledge of this disease which could shed light on this or similar experiences.

Pete

[stanmapstone]

"Lastly, the hopeless and intense form of tertiary syphilis, known as syphilitic cachexia, sometimes comes on, and gradually leads to a fatal termination" http://www.victorianlondon.org/disease/venerealdisease.htm
Cachexia http://www.antiquusmorbus.com/English/EnglishC.htm
Stan

[doddsie4]

       My g-grandfather had it in 1904.        After being admitted to an Asylum,  he was declared insane, and remained in the Asylum for 13 years before he died in 1917.      He had just qualified as a Doctor, but his life was ruined because of this illness.

[meles]

An indication of him having the illness would be if children he had died early and from congenital illnesses.

meles

[bearkin]

Thanks for the answers. My chap died 55 years after this diagnosis of something unrelated, and all his children were healthy and survived. This makes me think there is something amiss here. Clearly the army doctor thought he was seriously ill in 1863. However, by 1866 he married and was working with no apparent ill effects. This makes me wonder what is going on and if someone else has seen such a recovery?

Pete

[meles]

Marrying is no indication that he did not have syphilis. Many did. Two in my tree!

But the good health and that of his children is. That is unusual. The disease usually got worse, not better. So a misdiagnosis is the more likely assumption.

meles

[doddsie4]

meles & stanmapstone,
                                        My ggrandfather's wife actually had two healthy children, one born in 1893, the other in 1897 - but there are a few things that are mysterious to me.   One is the length of time he took to die: 13 years.
It seems a long time.      Another thing is a statement made in his medical record from the Asylum.

       About a year before he died,   the Asylum gives a report on his latest behaviour and health then states in the final sentence of his records:

       "The question has been raised if this is a case of General Paralysis? or Organic? Dementia associated with Cerebrial Syphilis or other brain disease?"

        The question marks are theirs, and they didn't seem to know the answers.

                                                                                        Brian

[Plummiegirl]

I would recommend you try to view the Martin Freeman episode of Who Do You Think You Are - this explains in laymens terms the condition and life expectations of those with tertiary syphillis.  And some of the associated illnesses, such as blindness, that could be contracted by children.  And it explains about children being born without the disease and other having problems.  Well worth watching a very interesting episode if only for the explanation of how people lived with it.

It is very interesting.  I too have an ancestor who died from this awful disease.

[meles]

Good programme. It was the one that made me review some of my tree and come to the conclusion several of my ancestors has syphilis.

meles