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On April 7, 1840, Julia may have noticed the “Weekly List of Internments” in The Herald.
The list was as follows:
Weekly Report of Internments.
In the City and County of New York, from the 28th day of
March to the 4th day of April, 1840.
31 men, 19 women; 47 boys; 32 girls. Total 129.
DISEASES.-
Asthma 1, asphyxy 1; apoplexy 1, abscess 0, bleeding 1, bleeding from lungs 0, burned-,spalded 1, casualties 3, colic 0, cancer 0, consumption 26, convulsions 9, croup or hives 2, debility 0, delirium tremens 2, diarrhea 1, death from poison 2, dropsy 4, dropsy in the head 6, dropsy in the chest 1, drowned 4, dysentery 1, epilepsy 0, erysipelas 0, fever 0, fever bilious 0, fever typhoid 2, fever scarlet 8, fever puerperal 4,fever remittent 2, fever intermittent 1; whooping cough 0, inflammation of bladder 1, inflammation of brain 9, inflammation of womb 1, inflammation of chest 2, inflammation of lungs 6, inflammation of bowels 7, inflammation of stomach 1, inflammation of heart 1, insanity 0, jaundice 1, killed or murdered 1, marasmus 3, malformation 0, measles 0, old age 2, organic disease of the heart 1, palsy 1, small pox 3, sprae 1, teething 1, tumor 0, unknown 2, worms 2.
AGE:- Of one year and under, 23; between 1 and 2, 8; 2 and
5, 16; 5 and 10, 9; 10 and 20, 5; 20 and 30; 19; 30 and 40, 14; 40 and
50, 8; 50 and 60, 4; 60 and 70, 2; 70 and 80, 5; 80 and 90, 1; un-
known 0.
PLACES OF NATIVITY- United States 103, Ireland 18, England
3, Scotland 2, Russia 0, Wales 0, Sweden 0, British Pos’ns N.
American 0, Germany 3.
FROM.- Alms House, Bellevue, 8; Hospital, do, 5; Fever
Hospital, do, 0; New Jersey, 0; Long Island, 2; Blackwell’s
Island, 0; Small Pox Hospital, 1; City Hospital, 3; Penitentia-
ry, 0; Westchester, 1.
Colored persons, 7.
WILLIAM A. WALTERS, City Inspector.
City Inspector’s Office, April 4, 1840.
The following is a list of some of the diseases mentioned above:
Apoplexy: bleeding from a stroke.
Delirium Tremens
Delirium seen in severe cases of alcohol withdrawal complicated by exhaustion, lack of food, and dehydration, usually preceded by physical deterioration due to vomiting and restlessness. The whole body trembles, sometimes with seizures, disorientation, and hallucinations. Delirium tremens lasts 3–10 days, with a reported death rate of up to 20 percent, if untreated. Hallucinations may develop independently of delirium tremens and may last days to weeks.
Anasarca, also called Dropsy, a severe, generalized form of edema.
Erysipelas
A contagious infection of the skin and underlying tissue, caused by group A B-hemolytic streptococcus bacteria. Erysipelas causes affected areas of skin to turn bright red and become slightly swollen. The swollen blotches have a distinct border and slowly expand into the surrounding skin. The lesions are most commonly seen on the face, scalp, hands, and legs. They feel hot to the touch and the patient is feverish.
Fever Puerperal
Puerperal fever, also called childbed fever, infection of some part of the female reproductive organs following childbirth or abortion. Organisms commonly producing this infection are Streptococcus pyogenes; staphylococci
Marasmus
marasmus /ma·ras·mus/ (mah-raz´mus) a form of protein-energy malnutrition predominantly due to prolonged severe caloric deficit, chiefly occurring in the first year of life, with growth retardation and wasting of subcutaneous fat and muscle.
(Thank you, Bonnie Soper for the transcription)
Bonnie Hunter said:
I am loving following along. Some of these things they had to deal with daily just break my heart!
Susan Stessin said:
Thank you for following, Bonnie. Julia will post again tomorrow, but it will take several months for her to recover. Imagine, leeching (bleeding) someone after they miscarried!
siobhan said:
Bonnie, thanks for letting me know about this blog…really interesting (though as you say sometimes a bit heart-wrenching….)
Kate said:
As horrible as the descriptions may be, I love learning about the different names for diseases used in the nineteenth century. It is also fascinating, yet terrible to see how so many common and easily treated ailments could prove deadly years ago.
Susan Stessin said:
Erysipelas, was often just called, St. Anthony’s Fire, since people that were infected felt their faces burning like a fire. Several years ago I studied the 19th century causes of deaths at the Ulster County Poorhouse. I learned quite a bit about causes of deaths and also found the names of the diseases quite fascinating. Antibiotics could have cured so many of them.
Kate said:
Do you think you could post the link to your exhibit or website on the Ulster County Poor House here?
Susan Stessin said:
Kate, read the May 31, 2012 blog – and thank you for your request.
~Susan
Susan Stessin said:
Sorry, i meant Julia will post again on the first-