Genealogy Chat

Is anyone able to tell me what PUERPERAL SEPTICAEMIA is in laymans terms? All I can find on the internet are very complicated medical case studies, obviously written by doctors, for doctors.

Puerperal Septicaemia Infection after childbirth due to poor midwifery techniques especially antiseptic measures. Infection entered through injuries to the birth canal leading to septicaemia and often to death. Occurs within 3 weeks of childbirth Puerperal just refers to childbirth, and Septicaemia is Blood poisoning or the invasion of the bloodstream by pyogenic (producing pus) organisms . It was common when people didn't understand the need for hygiene. source of info: www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms.htm

Thanks Julie and Helen. I think I might invent a website for laymans terms!! :-)

Hi Karen When I recently started my husband's tree, my MIL told me that her mother had died from an illegal abortion in 1934 (all we knew until then was that she had 'died young'). When I got the death cert, it said Puerperal Septicaemia, so I thought you might be interested to know of another cause of it. Mandy :)

sorry to jump on your thread, i had a death cert for hubbys grt gran the other day she was 25 when she died, the cause of death starts off with confinement zymotic was that the term used for childbirth does anyone know? enteritis which i know is somthing to do with the bowels syncope which means to die suddenly

Karen If you looked at the website whose address I posted earlier on this thread, you would know that zymotic means contagious:-)

Hi Nell, thank you, i did google medical terms the other day but confinement wasnt on it, so im guessign she was confined to bed as she had a contagious disease of some sort. awww poor soul must of suffered.

Hi Nell, thank you, i did google medical terms the other day but confinement wasnt on it, so im guessign she was confined to bed as she had a contagious disease of some sort. awww poor soul must of suffered.

Karen Confinement is the term used for the period covering childbirth and the immediate recovery. In your case, the woman had recently had a baby and because of poor hygiene,(either her own, or that of her nurse/attendant) caught a contagious form of enteritis which would have quickly finished her off, poor soul. OC

Hi Old crone, Thank you, i wasnt sure whether she had had a baby, i decided to look for births registerd in easington for july-sept 1904 and oct-dec 1904, she died october 8th 1904 i found 3 one registered in july qrt and 2 in the oct qrt just plucking up courage now to order the certs and keep everything crossed in the hope my gut feeling is right i was told there was a daughter but that she was older that her brother (hubbys grandad) who was born in 1900, may and hugh married in 1899 but his father and grandfather were wesleyan methodists so unlikely they had a child before they were married.

Thanks Nell Just had a look at the website, very helpful I've added to favourites . Yvonne

Little Nell Very useful site . One of my rellies had this as as cause of death. erysipelas of head for 6 weeks cerebritis coma (according to death cert) all this at young age of 28 ,mum of 4. lizz

i have rellie died aged 28 death cert says ' child bed' youngest boy born 1840 jennet died 1841 does this mean she died having baby EILEEN

Yes, childbed means she died during, or as the result of, childbirth. Childbed is the old fashioned term used for confinement. OC

Hi Ozbird, I have her marriage cert and they are bachelor and spinster on it, so i know neither of them were married before, i could ask Gro only to issue the certs if may and hughs names are on birth cert

thank you OC i thought it must be that but as the last child was born 1840 and jennet died SEPT41 she must have lost the baby as well , how sad, maybe a miscarriage EILEEN