Genealogy Chat

Thanks Rosemary. Thing is the story goes that my nana wanted to eat the apple (she was 8 years old) but her step-mother wouldn't give it to her and gave it to her daughter, Nellie, instead.

Thanks Emma. At least the story confirmed one thing, that they had moved back to the pace where my nana was born by 1916. Funny that though. They were there in 1908, somewhere else in 1912 and then they were there again in 1916. Why move back!?!

Arsenic was used a lot more freely than it is today and it could well have been used in gardening in this case. Quite horrendous really when you think how it was used medicinally and also as a beauty treatment to keep the skin white. It was used to create green dye and was rumoured to be the cause of death of Napoleon, who was thought to have been killed by his green wallpaper. Quite a few poor women were up on murder charges because of the free use of arsenic in their households. Very scarey. Poor little girl. I suppose the apples had been sprayed to keep insects off. Rose

Chloe, Found this on www.paul_smith.doctors.org(.)uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms.htm "Syncope Strictly means a faint or swoon. Syncope has been given as a primary cause of death, but this would be contradictory, as a faint is something that a person will recover from and pretty quickly too. However, it is also used to mean any sudden loss of consciousness. Here, it is a description of a mode of death rather than a cause of death or diagnosis. As a cause of death syncope means “dropped down dead” On death certificates, it probably just indicates a sudden death. Similarly, exhaustion is a lingering death The use of syncope and exhaustion on certificates is now frowned upon as they describe a mode of death whereas the certificate should indicate a cause of death" Don't know whether this confirms or not the story that you were told about arsenic, but it would suggest that she probably died quickly or suddenly. Emma x p.s. Just had a look at a "modern" medical site which lists dehydration as one cause for syncope (fainting/loss of consciousness) perhaps if she was vomiting and had diarrhea she was dehydrated. Also if you search for the symptoms of arsenic poisoning they do include diarrhea and vomiting - but then again so do lots of illnesses!!

Just bought the death certificate of my nana's half sister. Nana always said she was poisoned by arsenic on an apple. The cause of death is down as 'diarrhoea and vomitting' and 'syncope'. The little girl was aged 3 and she died in 1916. Is the story my nana told me true?