[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Baby illness term

[Günther Böhm]

F&RM Haddad schrieb:
> My grandmother had three children who died in infancy in Volhynia. I just
> heard from one of my aunts, that my grandmother had told her that they had
> died of "Kraempfe" - and please excuse the spelling, if it is incorrect. I'm
> not too fluent in German - and the thought that comes to mind is "cramps?"
> Can anyone enlighten me as to what this might mean? Was it a non-technical
> term for a medical condition? Or . . . ?
>
> Rose-Marie

Hello Rose-Marie,
the cause of death "Krämpfe" was also called "Fraisen" which in most 
cases ment tetany (see 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetany_(medical_sign) ) resulting from 
frequent (annual) pregancies of the mother. A good explanation - 
unfortunately in German - is under www.genealogie-kiening.de/todesurs.htm .

Günther