I think some families have certain subjects they tend to talk about more than others - ours tends to talk about health issues. Whenever I see a cause of death on a death certificate I wonder what it is and usually look it up.
There are certain "Diseases of Yore" that I am not clear on what they were and how they may have affected our ancestors.
I became a fan of Downton Abbey last year and in Season Three that aired in January 2013 in the U.S., daughter Sybil developed Eclampsia, which is a disease pregnant woman today still develop. It was pretty horrifying watching poor Sybil go through the effects of the disease and while it was portrayed for dramatic purposes, it makes think of all the women who died from this disease in the past, right in our own family lines. Hypertension, delusion, high levels of protein in the urine and then life-threatening seizures are part of the disease. Other than testing for high levels of protein, and high blood pressure, viewers saw the delusion and physical seizures as portrayed by Lady Sybil. Sad. :(
Sepsis is something I see quite often on the death certificates. The old-time name might be along the lines of it being called Blood Poisoning, but it's mainly a bacterial or viral infection that can't be fought off by the person's body alone. Left untreated, without antibiotics resulting in septic shock and complete system failure is typically what causes death. From what I am reading, this is still today a very common cause of death, many times resulting from other primary diseases.
Consumption was the "of Yore" word for Tuberculosis (TB), an air-borne disease that has been found in ancient times as well as today. It was known as the wasting disease.
Cholera is a bacterial infection of the small intestines with symptoms of watery diarrhea and vomiting. Cause is due to unsanitary conditions and consuming water or food that has been contaminated by a person already infected. Our ancestors living in the U.S. between 1832 in 1851 may have lived through or died from a Cholera epidemic.
Notes - As I am reading about these diseases mentioned above and because I didn't want to list some of the more medical details and potentially gross sounding descriptions, I'm noticing that some of the diseases say that people can already have these diseases and transmit them but yet not be sick themselves. I think I knew this and others probably know this, but I suppose I didn't realize how many times this is the case.
REMEDIES:
Penicillin, the antibiotic, wasn't used widely until around the time of WWII.
Homeopathic Remedies
Everyone's bodily systems function differently for many reasons and before starting anything, check it out and more importantly, pay very close attention if any adverse reactions occur and stop doing it.
Apple Cider Vinegar - This one is interesting because my maternal Grandmother subscribed to the philosophy of drinking a glass of water daily with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. She always said she would live to the age of 100 years old . . . and she did. RIP . . . Sophronia Isabelle (Vaughn) Strange - 1896 - 1996.
Disclaimer: This is not meant to be a medically reliable description of these diseases and conditions, but rather, they are the medical conditions that I was interested in learning more about. Do NOT use this information for any diagnostic purposes - it's just my blog. See the medical websites and medical professionals for accurate information about each of these. The same holds true for any remedies I've listed.
I will add other items as they come along in my travels.
