Is there such a thing?

[sindylin]

Hello,

Hoping someone can help here,
I have just received a death certificate and the cause of death looks like "Thombosis of the stomach 12 months" The writing is very feint but I can guess the rest of the information such as the place of death etc..... The death occurred in 1853 and I wondered if this was a word used in those days.

Many thanks

sindylin

[Mutley]

If you google for thrombosis of stomach (http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-21,GGLG:en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=thrombosis+of+stomach&spell=1) there are many replies but none for thombosis. Maybe they could not spell it. ;)

[paul1801]

Hi

thrombosis usually refers to a blood clot of some description, I would guess that it would be unlikely to have a clot in the stomach for 12 months as they most certainly have died from septicaemia.

Given the lenghth of time mentioned I can only think it may be to do with an ulceration of the stomach or possibly a tumour?

What was their occupation?

hope this helps,

Paul

[sindylin]

Mutley...
My mistake, I meant Thrombosis...but spelt it wrongly Doh! It was a long day yesterday!

What I meant was in 1853 was the term "Thrombosis" known/used?

I guess thats what it was though Paul1801, his brother died of "malignant disease of the stomach" which I guess was basically cancer so obviously a family weakness there. the guy in question was a Dairyman.

thanks for your replies!

Sindylin

[MythicalMarian]

Hmm...not so sure. Thrombosis of the stomach would probably be more like today's abdominal aortic aneurysm. The doctor would feel a mass with such a lesion, as he would with a tumour. People can have this condition for many years - but obviously a rupture is fatal.

[GRHughes]

I'm not sure whether thrombosis could be interchangeable with aneurysm, even a couple of centuries ago. Thrombosis means a clot and therefore a blockage while an aneurysm is when a blood vessel becomes abnormally large or balloons outward - which would present quite different histology.

A clot in the vessel would prevent blood flow through that vessel, meaning that whatever that blood vesel was supplying would die. The danger with an aneurysm is that the blood vessel will haemorrhage ("burst"), causing internal bleeding as well as failure to provide sufficient blood supply.

Sometimes a part of a cancer can "break off" and block a vessel - which is also termed a thrombus. Although not entirely convinced that the Dr wouldn't enter cancer on the death certificate as a cause also if this were the case.

Another possibilty is Deep Vein Thrombosis. This would present visible symptoms (the area would be swollen and hot). Sometimes part of the thrombus can break off and travel around in the cardiovascular system (termed an embolism now but not sure if they would have used embolism at the time??). Embolisms can then lodge in a blood vessel causing a blockage.

It's definitely an interesting one :)

[MythicalMarian]

Fair point, GR - I wasn't thinking of that. I was just thinking about what may cause 'lumps' :D

It is an interesting one though, as you say. Does the original poster know, I wonder, if this person had had any surgical intervention?

[christanel]

If you type "archaic medical terms' in to google some sites which may be able to help will be displayed.
I haven't actually gone in to them so don't know what they have to offer.
Christina