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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: fozzie on Tuesday 08 February 05 10:43 GMT (UK)

Title: Medical Term on death cert.
Post by: fozzie on Tuesday 08 February 05 10:43 GMT (UK)

Hi
Are there any medically minded people out there who could help me with the meaning of a cause of death:-

                          "Phthisis pulmonalis 4 years"

Many thanks

Apologies if I have posted this in the wrong place wasn't sure where to go.

Fozzie

Title: Re: Medical Term on death cert.
Post by: SS from The Rhondda on Tuesday 08 February 05 10:48 GMT (UK)

Commonly known as: Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB)

Just found this on The Great War Forum:
Phthisis literally refers to 'wasting'. It derives from the Greek word 'phthino', which means 'to waste away'.
Phthisis pneumonalis refers to pulmonary TB. This is because TB in the lungs frequently caused severe weight loss and wasting of the body. Other severe lung conditions may cause wasting due to the workload that breathing imposes on the body. However, these conditions are very unlikely in younger men compared with TB. The presence of lung disease without wasting would be unlikely to be called phthisis pulmonalis.  

Title: Re: Medical Term on death cert.
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Tuesday 08 February 05 11:01 GMT (UK)

and for (probably) more than you ever wanted to know on this subject:   http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,31769.0.html  :)

Title: Re: Medical Term on death cert.
Post by: fozzie on Tuesday 08 February 05 12:04 GMT (UK)

Hi

Thankyou very much for your replies

Fozzie