Could someone tell me what congestion of the bowels means as a cause of death?
Thanks!
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
There is absolutely no way of being sure of what this diagnosis really was, particularly if it was 19th century or early 20th century. Diagnosis was very primitive and many diseases had not even been defined. Obviously the person had some problem with the bowels but what was causing it is anyone's guess. With old diagnoses it is best just to accept a general definition and that that could have been a, b or c.
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
It would most likely be bowel obstruction (i am an ICU nurse and that is the closest thing I can think of). It is a stoppage in the bowel, the bowels can basically overinflate with stool and burst, which then causes sepsis (a blood infection of 'blood poisoning') and the patient would die.
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
Good information, thanks!! Do you happen to know what would cause this? My research subject was poor and died in 1886 at the age of 42.
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
Constipation would be the cause of a bowel obstruction...
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
I just ran across a death certificate that was handwritten with Depthenid as far as I could tell and said it was caused by congestion of the bowels. I tried looking it up with no luck. Maybe I'm spelling it wrong?
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Re: Congestion of the Bowels
It might help if you could scan in the original as sometimes looking at other letters gives clues. You do not say where you are or where the certificate was issued - it is a completely way-out suggestion but could it be Diphtheria AND Congestion of the bowels - not "caused by"?
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