Genealogy Chat

I have a death certificate from 1891, giving a cause of death as "Gout 2 months". The deceased is a 74 year old lady.

I have been googling for Gout, read all sorts of bits and pieces, but haven't found anywhere mentioning that Gout can kill.

Does anybody know anything about this? Or do you think I have misread the certificate?

Duncan

They say that GOUT is the rich mans disease but it can kill if not treated.

Stephen/Joan

Thank you for your comments.

Joan, the person who certified the death has the letters MRCS after his name, but did not sign Dr before his name. I think MRCS is something medical but I'm not sure.

Duncan

Member of The Royal College of Surgeons

OMG - what do I have to look forward to? I've had a few bad attacks when death seemed preferable 8-^)
B

Gout can certainly by brought on by food and drink. Gout is a build up of uric acid in the body which in turn produces crystals which will cause inflammation and pain. High blood pressure, and obesity will also contribute to gout. Alcohol produces high uric acid levels as does a diet which contain high purine levels such as red meat, shellfish, mackeral etc. It is always advisable to remove these things from the diet and take in more alkaline products such as fresh vegetable. More men than women have gout but I believe that is because of the higher alcohol consumption in men.
Don´t know about your relly Duncan but if for example she was a "fishwife" and fish was her daily
diet then she could have been susceptible to gout.

Hi Daisy,

From what I read when I was googling, Christine is right about it being hereditary, but it won't necessarily show up in people even if they have inherited it. Men are far more likely to get it, women are extremely unlikely to suffer it before the menopause but more likely to afterwards.

The case I have was a 74 year old widow of a gardener. But she lived in Shoreham, just along the coast from Brighton, so I would imagine there was plenty of fish about.

Something I forgot to ask yesterday, does anyone know why 2 months would have been mentioned on the death certificate?

Duncan

The 2 months would mean duration of the condition

GOUT


Primary Factor Gout is primarily due to more serum uric acid than the kidney can process, such that elevated levels cause crystals to form.




Death may occur from kidney disease, hypertension, coronary artery disease, or stroke. Treatments include a change in dietary habits, decrease in ethyl alcohol consumption, and use of diuretics and antibiotics.

the 2 months probably refer to the amount of time she had been suffering from it

Thank you fo all your comments.

Duncan