Genealogy Chat

I have just received an Australian death certificate from 1866. Cause of death is 'cessation of maternal evacuations and dropsy'. She was 45. Am I to understand she died from menopause??? Or was it a miscarriage gone wrong. Any ideas please?? Thanks Anna

I think it might mean that she was retaining fluid while pregnant and that perhaps after giving birth she failed to expel the placenta and perhaps died of infection or bled out. But I am guessing.

Thanks Maria That sounds like a plausible explanation.

Hi, I asked Google about 'Dropsy' and this is what it came up with: 'Dropsy. A contraction for hydropsy. Edema, the presence of abnormally large amounts of fluid in intercellular tissue spaces or body cavities' Cannot help with the rest tho! Cheers Elgar

Dropsey is usually applied to fluid retention and can lead to heart problems/failure, noticable effects are swollen (lower) limbs and sufferers are often prone to fainting and blood pressure fluctuations. It is often quoted on earlier certs as either a contributing cause or the main cause of death.

Thanks Glen and Elgar So we have the dropsy sorted - does anyone have any idea about the rest of the diagnosis? Anna

Maternal evacuations must mean having a baby? Interesting choice of phrase! I can't think of any other reason to use the word maternal if not in connection with a birth. Cessation of maternal evacuation must mean that she stopped having her baby - failed to complete the process.....and died? is there any evidence of a baby born into the family at this time?

Or perhaps some placenta got left behind and caused an infection? Cheers, Horatia

Thanks for your help Jennifer and Horatia Jennifer - no birth recorded so must have been a miscarriage I think. They did it tough in those days didn't they. Anna

Hi Just a thought but do you know where she died? If so there may be other similar comments on other certs and just maybe a researcher may have insight as to what it means. Other than that I suspect she did indeed die of heart failure which has many causes but because the Doc didnt know which one - he blamed it on the menopause. I dont know much about the menopause (except I'm heading that way!) but I would have thought it a fairly newish phenomenon as many women would have just continually bred up until an early death, during earlier pre contraception times, and those who did reach menopause would've been unusual. Your relative was only 45 too, I dont know if that was too old to conceive but too young to be menopausal? Good Luck Jen

Jenny I don't think this is anything to do with the menopause, because of the word 'maternal'. And - I have never heard of anyone actually dying of the menopause (although some might feel like it, lol). I think this was a pregnancy which went wrong. Even today, labour can suddenly cease for no good reason and it is considered a medical emergency requiring a caesarian. In those days, if no Doctor was available, or not sent for, then the woman would just die, particularly if there was an underlying illness like dropsy. Even today, careful watch is kept over a newly delivered mother to ensure that all the placenta etc has been expelled and drugs given fairly rapidly if this has not happened. OC

Yup OC, I think you are right What a shame and what a sad way to die - we probably dont realise how lucky we are to have such good maternal care these days. Cheers Jen

It is more than likely she died of ECLAMPSIA which is a severe manifestation of toxaemia of pregnancy severe swelling of the hands feet and legs associated with fits and convulsions. also extremely high blood presure. A sure killer in those days. and/or possibly peurple fever after birth of child very common and a real menace to women in those days due to poor hygiene standards