Genealogy Chat

Can anyone tell me waht Infantile Fever would have been?
I have a child who died of this in Scotland in 1860.
I tried to do a search on it but I get suggestions coming up for everything but what I'm looking for.

Gypsyjoe

try puerp(a)el fever probably a blood disorder at birth....

there were, In early days of delivery that surgeons would come to the delivery rooms after having been dissecting cadavers, and fetching infections with them...
( was a documentary on TV about it!)
Bob

Only the mother died of puerperal fever, not the child.

'Infantile fever' was a term used to cover a multitude of infant/child infections that were rife in 1860 but often undiagnosed at death, especially if the child was very young. These included diphtheria, scarlet fever, cholera, measles etc etc. The list is endless and epidemics of all these and more were the norm, especially amongst the poor.
Aren't you glad we live now??
CC

Thanks but would the child have ben affected by this, he was four months old when he died.

Gypsyjoe

He probably got an infection, developed a fever and died of a fit.

Just remembered its called Febrile convulsions now.

Could have, but convulsions are usually mentioned on the death cert. High fever doesn't always produce a convulsion, especially in a 4 month old baby. At that age his little body would have been swiftly overcome by an unreduceable fever and he'd have quielty just died.
In 1860 this was so common that unfortunately doctors didn't spend too long looking for a cause, they just put a broad term such as 'infantile fever' on the death cert and went on about their business.
Sounds heartless but those were the times I'm afraid.
CC

I have seen this on several death certs for babies in my tree I just assumed that it was something along the lines of the "VIRUS" that we all seem to have when the doc can find no plausible reason for us being unwell

Wow, thanks for that. I'll just leave it in my notes as Infantile fever then.

Does make one glad we live in these times, though it does make you wonder why some of these horrors of the past are making a re-emergence.

Well, thanks again, bed time for me.

Gypsyjoe

Most of the 'horrors' were bacterial infections; much more dangerous and impossible to treat before penicillin. A cold cloth and careful nursing were the only allies, and usually to no avail against the real 'killers'.

I have loads in my tree too, almost all tiny children.

right C C ( clever clogs) LOL,
I stand corrected,

on another note, in the late 30's would it have been the case that after a very premature birth, that the mother would be able (allowed even) to go and register the birth, or would it have been done in-house( hospital)?

Bob

Its even more amazing to think penicillin wasnt generally available until after the war! People were dying of things like pneumonia when they would just take a course of anti biotics now.

Husband's uncle died in 1937 of pneumonia

....... he was within weeks of defending his PhD thesis at a university in Wales, went climbing, slept in a tent overnight which got flooded, and he got thoroughly wet.

No treatment available, so he died within a few days

As a side note .... his thesis was apparently so brilliant that the university granted him a posthumous PhD degree, the first time that had been done there.


sylvia

Thanks again for the input guys, I really do wonder where some of you find this information.

Be it your own job related subjects or one of those random fact that is stowed away in the brain that you put out there and then wonder later where did I get that from but know it's completely right.

Gypsyjoe

Sue well thank's be to your friend then when we need mediacal advice. It's always good when you have someone elses brain to pick.

Gypsyjoe