NASTY DEATHS

Would you want to die of worms? That’s what poor Rhoda Crandall died of in 1848 in Columbus, Chenango County, New York (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nychenan/columbs1.htm). (1) Yuk!  I don’t know yet if Rhoda is one of my Crandalls.

How about “dropsy of brain”? What the heck! That is what Manasseh Lloyd died of in 1848. (2)Apparently, dropsy is edema, so dropsy of the brain must be swelling of the brain. (I don’t have any Lloyds in my tree to my knowledge.)

And what is marasmus? That was the affliction of James Olney, who died in 1849. (3) After doing a bit of Internet sleuthing, I discovered that marasmus is a form of severe malnutrition, usually occurring in young children (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/marasmus). (4) I do have Olneys in my tree, but I’m not sure if this James is mine.

Do you have ancestors who died of strange diseases?  Here are some websites where you can learn more about their conditions:

1. Old Medical Terminology, Rootsweb, Ancestry.com, (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgwkidz/oldmedterm.htm)
2. Old Medical Terms for use by Genealogists, Joseph G. Court, 2000-2012 (http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wakefield/definitions/defmedic.html)
3. Glossary of Medical Terms Used in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries, Craig Thornber, Cheshire, England, UK (http://www.thornber.net/medicine/html/medgloss.html)
4. Rudy’s List of Archaic Medical Terms, 2005-2012 (http://www.antiquusmorbus.com)
5. Sickness and Death in the Old South, A List of Medical Terms, 2002-2008, TNGenNet, TNGenWeb Inc. (http://www.tngenweb.org/darkside/medical-terms.html)
6. Glossary of Ancient Diseases, The Olive Tree Genealogy created by Lorine McGinnis Schulze (http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/misc/disease.shtml)

Or, if you want your very own book about this subject, try:

• A Medical Miscellany for Genealogists by Dr. Jeanette L. Jerger,2009 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0788403753)

I don’t know about you, but I want to die of old age like Anna Streeter did in 1849 (5) No worms, no dropsy….

ILLUSTRATIONS BY:

Dover Publications, Inc., Mineola, New York, Electronic Clip Art, 1100 Pictorial Symbols, 2007.

CITATION SOURCES:

(1) Town of Columbus, Deaths Reported in the Year 1848, P. 36, Rootsweb, page maintained by Tim Stowell, Chattanooga, TN (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nychenan/columbs1.htm: accessed December 10, 2012).

(2) Town of Columbus, Deaths Reported in the Year 1849, P. 37, Rootsweb, page maintained by Tim Stowell, Chattanooga, TN (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nychenan/columbs1.htm: accessed December 10, 2012).

(3) Ibid, p. 37.

(4) The Free Dictionary by Farlex, Inc., 2012 (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/marasmus: accessed December 10, 2012).

(5) Town of Columbus, Deaths Reported in the Year 1849, op. cit., p. 37