AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS-L Archives

Archiver > AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS > 2007-03 > 1173783072


From: Trevor <>
Subject: Re: Death on Goldfields - Old Medical Terms
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:51:12 +1100
References: <00d601c76507$d34bdfd0$5b126905@Bill><003801c76515$9b53fdc0$69f631ca@sommerfields><45F6463F.9090907@iinet.net.au><005d01c76541$ff984f80$9400a8c0@vic.bigpond.net.au><012f01c76557$e51c3660$5b126905@Bill>
In-Reply-To: <012f01c76557$e51c3660$5b126905@Bill>


> Bob Cunning wrote:
> Hello Trevor.
>
> "Old Medical Terms for use by Genealogists" gives:
>
> Softening of brain - Result of stroke or haemorrhage in the brain,
> with an end result of the tissue softening in that area
>
> Cheers, Bob

Thanks, Bob.

The definition you give, or one similar to it, is the most frequent to
be found it seems.

However, it is sometimes also associated with syphilis, alcoholism, and
old age as causative factors leading to stroke, etc. (I qualify on the
last one, am working on the second, but plead not guilty
to the first, m'lud!!)

For instance, if you look at
http://nutrias.org/inv/civilsheriff/1898.htm you will see that poor old
John Stanislas Garvey, aged 43, a clerk of New Orleans suffered
Softening of the Brain caused by Syphilis & Alcohol. This was the cause
of his removal to the State Asylum for the Insane in 1898.

Another interesting site is "Archaic Medical Terms: a resource for
genealogists and historians " at
http://www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk/s.htm#syphilis which offers the
following.

Softening of the Brain
* General senility
* General paralysis of the insane, which is syphilis of the nervous
system
* Could mean dementia
* I have seen suggestions that softening of the brain could mean a
stroke but I am not confident of the sources

A fascinating sideline to genealogical research, eh?

Trevor

This thread: