Tuberculosis in 1870

[cristeen]

I have an 18 month girl dying in August 1863, death cert states 'teething 6 months scrofula opthalmia 4 months' (scrofula opthalmia being a consequence of TB) and her 31 year old mother dies in February 1865 with the death cert stating 'dyspepsia 2 years, phthisis pulmonalis 16 months'. Hers was a fishing family living on the Scottish coast. It's hard to know if mum caught TB from baby Helena or vice versa, Mum's dyspepsia may be TB related, maybe she was carrying the disease, passed it to her daughter and later succumbed herself. Helena's older brother died on 1864 from unrelated medical issues and the father remarried and lived a long life.

[coombs]

In March 1861 my 3xgreat grans half brother died of "atrophy" which is a wasting disease. He was 13 months old. Atrophy could be TB related. The mother herself died in November 1863, yes, the same woman from Brighton who I mentioned earlier. She died almost 3 years after her baby. So it could be she caught her illness from her son. Or vice versa.

[Kelownagurl]

In March 1861 my 3xgreat grans half brother died of "atrophy" which is a wasting disease. He was 13 months old. Atrophy could be TB related. The mother herself died in November 1863, yes, the same woman from Brighton who I mentioned earlier. She died almost 3 years after her baby. So it could be she caught her illness from her son. Or vice versa.

Oh that's interesting.  The woman I was referring to lost a son at 8 mos old due to "atrophy" and that was less than a year before she herself died. I think it said "atrophy from vomiting" tho.  No mention of TB.

[Lionrhod]

I've been doing quite a bit of research on TB (most often called "Consumption" in those times) for a book I'm working on. There's an excellent BBC show on youtube called The Forgotten Plague.

Treatments for TB ranged from lung collapse therapy to the Saranac Cure - fresh air, exercise, and "freezing it out" (staying outside in insanely cold weather). I'm not sure when Lake Saranac opened it's doors. It may have been a bit after the 1870s.

An excellent novel based on the TB experience, albeit in the 1920's is Mountain Shadows by Patti Brooks.

[Kelownagurl]

I've been doing quite a bit of research on TB (most often called "Consumption" in those times) for a book I'm working on. There's an excellent BBC show on youtube called The Forgotten Plague.

Treatments for TB ranged from lung collapse therapy to the Saranac Cure - fresh air, exercise, and "freezing it out" (staying outside in insanely cold weather). I'm not sure when Lake Saranac opened it's doors. It may have been a bit after the 1870s.

An excellent novel based on the TB experience, albeit in the 1920's is Mountain Shadows by Patti Brooks.

Thanks - I'll check out those videos!