Whitechapel Infirmary Admission 1885-87

[Chris Scott]

I am in the process of transcribing the admissions registers of the Whitechapel Union Infirmary from 1885 to 1887 and will start posting these shortly. However, I have a query. I have come across one entry, a woman named Mary Chaplin, admitted in May 1885. The cause of admission is a complete mystery to me, and I have never seen this before. I thought at first this said "S.X.D" but if you look at the capital S of Single in an earlier column, there is little similarity. I think "L.X.D." is a more likely reading. But what this could refer to as a medical condition I have no idea.
It was presumably a serious condition as Mary Chaplin is listed as dying, still under Infirmary care, on 19 December 1885.
I am posting the section below and would greatly value any opinion as to what this could be.
Chris

[Mike Covell]

Hi Chris,
I checked under both LXD and SXD and found only modern explainations, mostly to do with computers and learning.

I cannot find anything which has older abbreviations on, sorry mate.

[Chris]

I thought at first this said "S.X.D" but if you look at the capital S of Single in an earlier column, there is little similarity. I think "L.X.D." is a more likely reading. But what this could refer to as a medical condition I have no idea.

I think the middle character is '&' rather than 'X'.

I cheated by going to "Moving Here" and looking at neighbouring entries, and I think I can see the same thing written several times in full. But the image really isn't very clear. My best guess is "Ill & Dest[itute]", but I'm not very confident that's right. (But maybe it's not unreasonable, considering there's "Old & Dirty" a bit further on!)

[The Good Michael]

Chris,

L & D, Labor and Delivery.

My guess.

Mike

[Mike Covell]

Chris,

L & D, Labor and Delivery.

My guess.

Mike

Now you come to mention it, it does look like "L + D"

[Chris Scott]

Hi guys
Many thanks for the prompt suggestions
Having looked at the entry in context again I can add one more thing. The following entry, a woman named Sophia Cook, was admitted under the same "Cause of Admission" but she was aged 56, so I think any cause relating to childbirth is unlikely
The only other thing they have in common is that both are needlewomen.
Chris

[Chris]

L & D, Labor and Delivery.

My guess.

That would seem reasonable for the initials, but I don't think it's what the other entries say. These are the ones numbered 156, 190, 262 and 286 (http://www.movinghere.org.uk/deliver...3_018/0/1.pdf).

If it is the same condition, then men were afflicted by it as well as women.

[The Good Michael]

Chris,

Well, my first reaction was LVD, maybe Lethal Venereal Disease.

If using '&' was common rather than using acronyms, Lung Disease could work.

Mike

[Chris Scott]

Hi Chris
Thanks for that
For anyone looking at the link Chris gave, the entries I am talking about are number 63 and 64
Chris

[Dan Norder]

It wouldn't be an ampersand in the middle, as there'd be no reason to put period after it. It must be part of the abbreviation.

From the first look it always appeared to be "L.K.D." to me, which sounds like it'd be liver/kidney disease.

[The Good Michael]

Dan,

There's no period after the D so, it could be in the wrong place. The 'v' looking letter looks a lot like the ampersand to the left.

Cheers,

Mike

[Chris]

Here's a little montage of the similar entries.

[Salome]

I think you're right, it's an abbreviation of 'Ill & Destitute', the capital letters and the ampersand are not dissimilar in any of the entries

[evilina]

I think the first letter is a 't'. What did you use for the very first entry on the page - that seems to be the same starting letter in the cause of admissions. (Ann Abrahams i think is her name)

[The Good Michael]

Chris,

Ill and Dest it is. Thanks for the test, however.

Mike