BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 7 Episode #6: Martin Freeman

[Aniseed]

Thanks for that, margaret103. I was interested that Nick29 said that TB (phthisis) might be linked with syphilis as I haven't heard about that before and would like to know more, as my gg grandfather's first wife seems to have had both.

I think I have a g.g. uncle and aunt who may have been afflicted by syphilis.  They only had one child, who only lived one day, and didn't have any more after that.  The mother died in a mental hospital aged 63 of a variation of TB which I think may be linked to syphilis.

As you say, though, phthisis did mean just a general debility and wasting away, which perhaps could have been caused by syphilis.

pjbuk007 if you do find out more about this, I'd be fascinated to hear about it.

I thought this was an absorbing programme, really good to have more than one generation investigated, although I was surprised that they gave up so easily on the search for Emily. Ada did seem to be an amazing woman. I hope Martin Freeman does do some more of his own research because they seem to be an intriguing family.

[Lydart]

Just watched this on iPlayer ... last weeks and this were definitely the best of the series.     I have no idea who the 'star' was though ! 


I must look through my tree as I'm sure I've got cases of children dying as babies, one after the other ... well, well !    Syphilis !!    Who'd have thought it ... 

[Viktoria]

Does anyone who used to visit Blackpool  remember a sort of museum which showed the effects of syphilis,gonorrhoea etc on people, the various stages of the diseases and the effects on babies etc by way of wax models with all the spots,chancres and other horrors in graphic detail? It was a must and as teenagers it sure was an attraction to us.It terrified us ,yet was fascinating .I seem to remember that the times being what they were alternate parties went round, males and then females, not the two together, but it was so realistic we`d have been embarrassed going round with the boys we were going out with( it was a long time ago!!!) Viktoria.

[pjbuk007]

Hi All

Quick answers;

Phthsisis is medical for Tuberculosis, not general debility etc (although those can be symptoms).

None of the above speculation is anything to do with incest!  Although there was quite a lot of this about (then as now); there are some children in our tree where I speculate this could be the case.

I will try and contact the chap from the episode as I think I might know someone who knows him, regarding the natural history of syphilis in 19th century.

[youngtug]

if your interested;-   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis

[Gaille]

You also have to bear in mind that incompatibility of blood groups could be the cause of miscarriage, premature and early infant deaths.

Carole

Yeah if anyone followed MY family they would wonder, Miscarriage followed by a live (and still living child) then a miscarriage, stillbirth, another 2 early miscarriages, live (and still living Child), Early Miscarriage, Another miscarriage, Live (and still living child) followed by another early miscarriage.

Looks awful doesnt it?
I wonder what the statistician Martin talked to would make of it? he would probably say it followed his pattern maybe? ............................ he would be wrong tho, the reason was a blood incompatibility between the mothers rare blood group & the fathers O blood, it wasnt until after the stillbirth it was diagnosed & attempts were made to save subsequesnt pregnancies.
This was diagnosed due to modern medicine, as it was in the recent past, but imagine if the mother had been in the 17 or 1800s? the doctors wouldnt have had a clue & wouldnt have been able to diagnose it.

[Gaille]

I agree - so interesting and almost too much information for the hour.
I have to say that initially I thought that the discussion on syphilis was being used to pad out the programme and was quite shocked when it turned out to be true. (only shocked in the sense of not being a 'filler').
I had to laugh too when, I think it was in the church, there was discussion about whether Richard had been previously married.
My husband, who has no interest in research etc, remarked 'Why don't they look him up in the censuses!' and then the chap produced the 1891 census 
I think this series has been overall - good.
As has been said- what are we going to do without it and Heir Hunters 

heywood

LOL I had to laugh too, my mum who isnt into this at all, just what she picks up from me, turned round n said "Why didnt they check his newer marriage cert, it would say 'widower' on it wouldnt it??"

[Gaille]

As I understand it, it is in case the baby is rhesus positive which would react (fatally) with my "negative" blood?

CatOne - No it's the exact opposite.  Remember Rh.negative blood can be given to anyone in an emergency,(O Rh.Neg people are universal donors) it is Rh.positive that can't be, as it badly affects people with Rh.neg blood.

You have Rh.neg blood and presumably your husband has Rhesus positive.  Your last baby must have been Rhesus positive (his/her blood will have been checked at birth).  You would have been given Anti-D, in case any of that baby's blood spilled over (via the placenta etc) into your blood stream.  If that happened and you weren't given Anti-D, your own system would have made antibodies against the Rh.positive blood that had got into your blood stream.  You would be left with those antibodies, whereas the Anti-D given by injection disappears after it has done its work.  If you were left with your own antibodies, and the next pregnancy produced a Rh.negative baby, that is the baby that would be affected (maybe fatally) by the antibodies it could get from you. 

Hope that makes sense.

Lizzie

Lizzie, thats what happened in my family, both my mum & I are A-RH-Pos.

When my mum was pregnant each time she was in hospital on bed-rest & monitoring for as long as the hospital could get her in! with my brother she was in for six months as she kept having problems!

Thankfully things have moved on now & the injections make things so much safer for both mother & baby.

Gaille

[LizzieW]

Gaille

I'll send you a PM about this rather than carry post on this topic.

Lizzie