Cause of Death

[mookp1892]

Hi,

A while ago I purchased the death cert. of my 3 X Great Grandmother who died aged 71 in 1911. On the cert. it says that the cause of death was "Gastritis Asthenia". I know Asthenia means weakness but I didn't know that you could die from having Gastritis! Is it likely that there were other complications and they just weren't known of?

[Ruskie]

Yes, Gastritis was a cause of death:
http://www.thornber.net/medicine/html/medgloss.html

[mookp1892]

Thank you for that. I wonder if it was because there wasn't any treatment back in 1911. I'm sure you can't die from Gastritis today.

[sami]

...... I'm sure you can't die from Gastritis today.

I think it can still be a very serious condition especially if it becomes acute. Perhaps your 3X Gt Grandmother also had other health problems.

sami

[Billyblue]

If it was severe enough it could possibly lead to a gastric ulcer which could perforate and cause death.
Left untreated (or, in her case, not having the now current treatments & knowledge) it could and obviously did. 

Dawn M

[julie7239]

I have an old book called "Medical and Nursing Dictionary and Encyclopaedia" by Evelyn Pearce, which was originally published in 1933 as "A Short Encyclopaedia for Nurses", first reprinted with this title  1941, and final reprint 1947.

"Asthenia means weakness  (see also Myasthenia Gravis)."

[weste]

I agree with billyblue.you could get slow bleeding for a while or get a sudden rupture. Just think how strong stomach acid is and if gets outside of its environment what damage it could do to the insides.