Cause of death

[John_Hartley]

My researchee was invalided out in 1918 (I suspect due to epilepsy).

His cause of death in 1919 is

1 Acute Endocarditis (septic?)

2 Epileptiform convulsions

I've had a look in the dictionary and my best interpretion of this is that he had a heart attack brought on by a fit. Can anyone confirm if I'm on the right track?

John

[Mark]

It's a heart problem. Click here for details.

[gem22]

John

You have it as close as you need. Acute endocarditis is a sudden onset ( as opposed to chronic, or long standing) infection or inflammation of the membrane lining the inside of the heart, the endocardium.

The secondary part of the cause of death is a little more difficult to explain, but yes essentially the patient has had a fit, or fits, similar to those caused by epilepsy but not epileptic in origin in this case.

Likeliest reason for this is what lay people might think of as blood poisoning. A bug has got into the blood system and infected the lining of the heart. It probably did some damage to the brain causing the fits.

Hope that helps

Garth

(Recovering from mild bronchitis and feeling like death warmed up)

[John_Hartley]

Thanks, both.

Seems my man was ill for quite a while prior to being invalided out. Battalion history suggests the strain of 21 March offensive was the last straw (although he won an MC). My guess is that he had the epilepsy-like symptoms from that time. An illness very much carrying a stigma in those days and therefore not talked about.

Garth - hope you're soon better.

John