Cause of death - dentition

[Phoenix]

The little girl was aged 2 when she died, in 1854. So I assumed this was the effect of teething.

But, her sister died a couple of weeks earlier aged 8 - of mortification of the soft palate.

Each, at the time of their death, had been certified for three weeks.

Neither cause of death sounds as if it was contagious, but it is hard not to believe that today a single cause would be attributed to both deaths.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Olde Crone]

The trouble is, Phoenix, that we don't know how accurate the cause of death in the early 1800s, even if it was certified by a doctor rather than reported by the informant.

Mortification of the soft palate could have been the result of a long term untreated infection, or even a cleft palate which would make infections more likely. Dentition always strikes me as a catch all, at two years old the child would have nearly all if not all their baby teeth. Teething doesn't kill you, a very high temperature might kill you though, if you had some other ailment.

I remember ordering two death certs for adult brothers who died five days apart at the same address. Turned out one fell from a barn roof, the other died of TB.

OC

[Phoenix]

I can imagine pressing a rag to the mouth to relieve pain, or giving a child a teething ring, which might be shared, passing on infection.

You're right, we can't tell. Two of their sisters died in 1860. The baby died of measles, uncertified, but the elder died of measles, fever and typhoia, certified seven weeks.

I haven't investigated the deaths of another two sisters, but I suspect poor housing, poor water supply, poor hygiene played a part. The father worked in the dockyard, so I imagine his pay was adequate for a reasonable diet.

Out of a family of ten, only my great grandmother and three siblings survived. She wouldn't talk to her children about her childhood, and I'm not surprised.