Genealogy Chat

Thanks Nell, I guess we'll never really know. Its clear he had something wrong with his back anyway! Poor chap was only 45. Anne

Selensis could be a misreading of "sclerosis"? nell

I think the problem with causes of death is that the clerk copying the details couldn't read the doctor's writing! Where have we heard that before? I have a cause of death on one certificate and cannot get to the bottom of it. Both my kids are medically trained and they don't know! Disseminated Selensis of the spinal cord, if anyone's interested. Kids say it was probably a type of cancer or TB of the spine. Anne

Thanks to all of you for your interest:)) It's definitely tympaintis on the cert which is what confused me cos I found tympanites and tympanitis and then got a bit lost searching for what they could do lol. I was thinking - like Nell says - that the abdomen thing sounded more fatal but the -is on the end is quite important (I would think). I think someone said that it's possible blood poisoning or something could have resulted from tympanitis and she could have died that way - don't know if the "5 days" on the cert would help sort it out - poor love must have suffered anyway. David

David I dont know if this helps solve anything but I was just reading up on 'Otitis Media' which as Christine said is 'Tympanitis' .. Symptoms in Acute cases are... Characterised by severe pain and a degree of conductive deafness. Fever, and nausea and vomiting are also common. A purulent exudate is produced and may accumulate in the middle ear. This may cause bulging or even perforation, of the eardrum. Shaz x

I have to say that the stomach version sounds more fatal than the ear one. nell

Just found.... Tympanitis = Inflammation of the inner ear. Also Tympanites = A distention of the abdomen resulting from the accumulation of gas or air in the intestine or peritoneal cavity. Also called tympany. I guess anything could be considered fatal back then as I have two ancestors whose cause of death was given as... Dentition.. this means.. Cutting (eruption) of the teeth! Shaz x

Are you sure it isn't Tympanitis? The Tympanum is the ear-drum (the technical name for kettle-drums is Tympani) and -itis is an ending used for inflamation (like appendic-, tonsil-, mening- and so on). Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear. It's excruciatingly painful (I know - I suffered as a three-year-old) but not, I should have thought, terminal. Having said that, mine was treated with penicillin, so I don't know what complications might have developed. Christine

Thanks Peter - that's sorted it out for me:) David

Tympaintis was an inflamation of the middle ear. So it seems he died of ear ache. (probably infected and so died of blood poisoning.)

Thanks Lou:) The word on the cert is very similar to two words on that site so I know it was one of two things! David

David This is a pretty good site for interpreting death cert terms http://www.paul_smith.doctors(.)org(.)uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms(.)htm Remove brackets! Lou

My gx3 grandmother died aged 29, cause given as "tympaintis 5 days" - I've managed to find some similar terms which make it sound as if it's to do with gas & air in the abdomen but it's all a bit vague - can anyone help? :)) David