[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Cholera

[Beth Burke]

This has been a most interesting, albeit sad, discussion.  My grandparents
immigrated in 1904.  They had one child at the time, and another 13
followed.  Out of 14, 4 died while young.  One died of what we suspect now
was probably appendicitis, two died (within days of each other) of
diphtheria, and the 4th was accidently shot with, what was probably back
then a common practice - a loaded gun left where it was accessible.  Being
that all the deaths occurred before my mother was born, she only knew about
the heartache she saw in her parents.

All four of the children were buried in the same plot where my grandparents
are now buried.  Two have no headstones to speak of, which is something that
I have vowed to change one day.  Now that genealogy has become one of my
passions (along with surviving a son's teen years!), I feel like I have a
connection to these people.

To All - Happy Easter & Happy Spring!

Beth Burke
Verona, Wisconsin

-----Original Message-----
From: ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org
[mailto:ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org] On Behalf Of Nelson
Itterman
Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 7:04 AM
To: 'Jennifer K. Walker'; ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Cholera

Hello Jennifer:
In my humble opinion, I think you have hit the nail on the head. Thanks ever
so much for sharing this knowledge with us.
Nelson

-----Original Message-----
From: ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org
[mailto:ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org] On Behalf Of Jennifer
K. Walker
Sent: April-12-09 1:21 AM
To: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Cholera


I too have been researching Cholera/Dysentery, as well as how it relates to
infant mortality rates over the past couple hundred years.  Of course, young
children have less immunity and thus less opportunity to fight the bacteria
which caused the diarrhea.  In those times it was common practice to help
purge the body when ill, so mothers often help their young by giving them
prunes, etc. to help the diarrhea run its course, which in turn caused the
body to further lose fluids at a very high rate, often bringing death much
faster.

My own paternal grandfather, born in 1902 Arkansas, was the youngest of at
least eleven children, of which at least eight died within the first three
years of life due to "Dysentery."  Their mother treated them all with prunes
and folk medicines such as castor oil, etc. which left the body further
dehydrated. I find it very difficult to understand how mothers could
continue this practice in particular after seeing one child after another
suffer the same consequences with no change in the fight for life.  It seems
that it was accepted in those days that children would not necessarily live
so to have many would perhaps produce a few who would live into adulthood
and there was no good to come from dwelling on those that were lost.  My,
how far we have come that we expect all of our children to live today!  We
often think of our hard-working, German ancestors as stern and sturdy, but
to think of the losses that they had to overcome...imagine the joy they
would have now to know that in such a short time we can insure that each
generation has such healthy beginnings! 

Happy Easter everyone!  He is Risen!

JennifeR Walker
San Antonio, TX
Researching:  Schlender, Zindler, Steinke, Naderschanske, Kraft, Heinemann,
Krueger, Klemke, Schmit, Schultz
--------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 11:20:53 -0400
From: Otto <otto at schienke.com>
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Baby illness term
To: GPV List <ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org>
Cc: F&RM Haddad <farose at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <1C9122B4-A127-4B96-ACB0-3D54DB1417FB at schienke.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

"The cramps". . . it almost sounds like a generic definition of cholera.
Establishing the events in the flow of time would be helpful.  Cholera
usually marched behind an army.

Cholera is a bacteria causing diarrheal symptoms usually resulting in
dehydration and death if unattended. Severe stomach, leg and muscle cramps
are part of the symptoms.


On Apr 9, 2009, at 10:27 AM, F&RM Haddad wrote:

> Kraempfe


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