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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: SoozeH on Wednesday 17 November 10 16:03 GMT (UK)

Title: Cause of Death
Post by: SoozeH on Wednesday 17 November 10 16:03 GMT (UK)
Can anyone help with the meaning of a 'cause of death' on a 1876 death certificate please.  It says 'delirium epota or epotic'.
What on earth is that?

Any help appreciated.
Thanks
Sue
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: Alexander. on Wednesday 17 November 10 16:43 GMT (UK)
Could it be epileptic delirium?

Maybe posting a scan of that part of the certificate could help decipher it.
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: Evie on Wednesday 17 November 10 17:06 GMT (UK)
Hi

According to latin translation epotus is drained/exhausted so their delirium must have been quite severe by whatever was causing it.

Another translation said drunk up/down

Evie
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: SoozeH on Wednesday 17 November 10 20:09 GMT (UK)
Thanks for your replies. 

FreckNeale, I'm afraid I can't scan it as my scanner isn't compatible with my laptop.  I have compared the handwriting with the rest of the certificate and I'm sure of my interpretation. 

Evie, The translation of epotus sounds promising.  Do you think this could be an alcohol related cause of death.  The man in question was a wine merchant's porter for many years until he died, perhaps he imbibed a little of the juice along the way!

You've given me food for thought.
Thanks
Sue
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: Evie on Wednesday 17 November 10 21:16 GMT (UK)
Quote from: SoozeH on Wednesday 17 November 10 20:09 GMT (UK)
Do you think this could be an alcohol related cause of death. 

To be quite honest Sue, the thought had crossed my mind.

Evie
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: gordon5 on Sunday 21 November 10 21:43 GMT (UK)
I've found a reference to epota in "A Handbook of Medical Diagnosis For Students". It refers to the diagnosis of typhoid and talks about the appearance of a crop of rose-red epota appearing on a tympanitic abdomen. This book dates (I think) from 1910. Another reference in Smith's English-Latin dictionary suggests that epota is a verb meaning to boil up in the sense of effervescence.
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: SoozeH on Sunday 21 November 10 22:21 GMT (UK)
Oh gosh, now I'm confused.  This is something completely different.  More investigation needed I think.
Thanks for your reply
Sue
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: gordon5 on Sunday 21 November 10 22:41 GMT (UK)
Hiya

Having thought further about it, the medical reference could mean boils appearing on the abdomen, it also goes on to talk about weakness, dizziness etc which could account for the delirium as the typhoid progressed. Is typhoid a possibility? Where did your person die - which part of the world, I'm assuming hospital!

There was a nasty outbreak of typhoid near Uppingham between 1875 and 1877...
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: PrueM on Sunday 21 November 10 23:26 GMT (UK)
Quote from: gordon5 on Sunday 21 November 10 21:43 GMT (UK)
...rose-red epota...

Having looked at the book, it's been OCR scanned, and "epota" is actually supposed to be "spots"  :)
Title: Re: Cause of Death
Post by: SoozeH on Monday 22 November 10 08:24 GMT (UK)
Hi

I think the typhoid idea is probably not as strong as the drunk up/down (possibly alcohol related) suggestion and having read PrueM's post and checked myself I can see that 'epota' is 'spots' (OCR scanning produces some wild transcriptions sometimes!).

Thanks to both of you
Sue