Medical Terminology.....

Miss Poohs · Post by **Miss Poohs** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:50 am

Hi Guys - hope you have had a good Christmas

.

I've been pluggin' away with my past relatives and I've come across a cause of death on a childs death certificate.

I'm not sure if I'm reading it properly - and I've never heard of it - it looks like - Marasmus - anyone any ideas?

k

Miss Poohs · Post by **Miss Poohs** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:53 am

It's ok - I just found this http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic164.htm, which seems to answer my question

TD

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:02 am

Hi Janice, glad you found the answer, another site is -

http://www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms.htm

Jack

TD

Miss Poohs · Post by **Miss Poohs** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:15 am

Thanks Jack that's the one I was looking for - I'll book mark it this time. Ta

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:26 pm

Great care is needed in interpeting the use of fairly vague terms such as "marasmus" as meaning exactly the same as modern day usage.

The first site given above, http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic164.htm defines marasmus as "severe malnutrition, protein energy malnutrition, PEM", which is the modern day usage.

While the main definition given on the second site
http://www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms.htm matches this in terms of modern day usage, see the last para for the much wider range of causes possible back then,

"Malnutrition occurring mainly in infants and young children caused by an insufficient intake of food. It could be a result of neglect or ignorance. It is occasionally used for adults, especially those with mental handicap or disease

This is starvation rather than disease caused by a specific deficiency in the diet such as insufficient protein or vitamin deficiency. In the past it may have meant, failure to thrive, or wasting illnesses such as tuberculosis, diarrhoea or cancer "

David

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 1:57 pm

I found a girl of 17 in my family whose cause of death is Marasmus. I was a bit baffled by this, as although they were by no means well off and living conditions were probably desperate, everyone in the family was working and my beloved grandmother, who'd just married into the family at the time this girl died, would never have watched someone starve to death if she could have helped it.

I'd seen the definitions given above, except I'd missed the last paragraph on David's - this now makes sense - thanks (yet again) David - and Miss Poohs too for raising the question.

Regards from a nearly-white-day-after-boxing-day, somewhaur doon in England.

Pinkshoes.

Miss Poohs · Post by **Miss Poohs** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 2:00 pm

I noticed that David - glad parenting skills have improved somewhat since those days.

I suppose back then a baby either fed or died.

My own son was in hospital with a virus when he was about 7 weeks old - he made a full recovery and thrived with no set backs, but I guess years ago he wouldn't have survived.

Also parents are better informed of child care, these days in those days if they were lucky enough to be able to afford medical help, the doctors word was law.

But it's sad isn't it

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 2:36 pm

pinkshoes wrote:....snipped .........I'd seen the definitions given above, except I'd missed the last paragraph on David's - this now makes sense - thanks (yet again) David - and Miss Poohs too for raising the question.

Nae prob !!

pinkshoes wrote:Regards from a nearly-white-day-after-boxing-day, somewhaur doon in England.

Pinkshoes.

Interesting how an inch and a half of the white stuff brings SE England to a halt, whereas 6 inches of the same up here receives nary a mention on BBC ?!

David

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 4:21 pm

Interesting how an inch and a half of the white stuff brings SE England to a halt, whereas 6 inches of the same up here receives nary a mention on BBC ?!

David

Aye the view from my computer is of the highest mountain in these parts (top of my drive) and there's at least 0.01mm of snow on the peak

But we'll be out by Easter cos we're made of stern stuff here in Yorkshire.

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:26 am

Just noticed this thread.

Marasmus these days is usually used for the protein poor , potbellied wasting of children in third world countries.
Years ago conditions like coeliac disease could cause similar wasting and with no understanding then of how to cure it death was inevitable - in the same way as diabetes was a killer until they discovered that animal insulin could stop it being a life threatening illness. It didn't cure it but at least they didn't die!

Russell

Sorry if this offends vegetarians & vegans.

TalkingScot.com

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