Searching for..Isobel Pirrie ? Found her thanks

[Currie]

Hello Alison,

While looking into this I stumbled across a notice in the Glasgow Herald, Friday, March 6, 1868, that I’ll post here in case you haven’t seen it.

DEATHS.
At Parkhead, on the 5th instant, aged 16 years, Andrew, third son of Mr John Little, glass-bottle manufacturer.

All the best,
Alan

[littlealison]

Yes - thanks Alan, but I had spotted this one. I wish there was a way to find out what happened, but it doesn't seem very likely. Babies died....but a sixteen-year-old - sad.
Do you think it could have been an industrial accident?

[LesleyB]

Hi Alison

Babies died....but a sixteen-year-old - sad.
Do you think it could have been an industrial accident?

Back in in 1868, there were all kinds of things you might die of at any age, most of which we do not consider to be major worries these days e.g. tuberculosis was a BIG killer, any kind of infection if it got a hold could easily be the end of you as there were no anti-biotics; what we now think of as routine or non-threatening infections like cystitis or the result of cutting a finger could easily turn into something fatal, and also other illnesses or conditions like measles, scarlet fever, bronchitis, flu, pneumonia, oedema etc. etc.....all were potential killers. I know fine well that had I been alive back then, I'd have been dead several times over by now....

I wish there was a way to find out what happened, but it doesn't seem very likely.

If you want to find out what "did for him" you should be able to download the death entry from Scotlands People where the cause of death will be given.

Best wishes
Lesley

[joette]

It was indeed one of those diseases that killed him he fought for five weeks before sucumbing to Typhoid Fever.
I had an ancestor aged 19 who fought it for nine weeks before dying.
Antibiotics,better sanitation & clean drinking water have saved so many lives over the years.As my Granny would say
"You don't know you're born".

[littlealison]

That is what it was? What a horrible way to die, taking weeks.
This from Scotland's People? Thank you, Joette - Alison.

[joette]

I had a few credits & I'm nosey! His age on the Death certificate is 15 not 16 as the death notice in the paper says.
It's Registered in High Church Glasgow -there doesn't seem to be a Parkhead as a Reg District in this period.
I would go & have a look because it has parents names,person who registered the death,place of death on it.Well worth 6 credits.
I think what would finally kill them would be dehydration & exhaustion with no IV fluids it would be almost impossible to replace the fluids electrolytes etc lost through fever,vomitting & probably diarhhoea.The organs would start to fail & then "Ta Ta amen".So sad.

[SarahND]

Oh Joette... My great grandmother Mary S Stewart died of Typhoid Fever in 1873 and left a toddler and an infant (my grandmother). What a horrible way to go

Sarah

[LesleyB]

Hi Sarah

I think lots of the "ways to go" were pretty horrid...I have a gr gr grandfather who died of what must have started out as something similar to a urinary infection, due to a prostate problem, but which of course led to a kidney infection. Having had a kidney infection once, my heart went out to him - at least I only suffered real discomfort and illness for about 12hrs before I was able to see a doctor and start taking the anti-biotics. It was 12hrs from hell, with the discomfort so great that it was impossible to rest or sleep, and the thought of having that kind of pain go on and on for weeks and weeks, steadily getting worse, gave me great empathy for his plight and a lasting and heartfelt gratitude that I live in an age of anti-biotics.

Best wishes
Lesley

[Russell]

Yes Lesley

But at least they could go to the apothecary/druggist and buy Laudenum over the counter to alleviate the pain. We have to wait for a doctor to prescribe what is usually a mild pain killer which does nothing for the agony. Unrestricted sale of Morphine. Cocaine and other strong patent concoctions and cheap distilled spirits like gin would certainly help even if they speeded up your ultimate demise.

Russell

[LesleyB]

Cheap gin sounds good, Russell!!