Cause of Death

[Roy Corduroy]

Cohen passed away in asylum in October 1889. "The appropriate cause given was 'exhaustion of mania' bringing on pulmonary phthisis." (Fido p 220)

The List of Archaic Medical Terms says that is tuberculosis. (click)

Roy

[Canopy]

That is one interesting site Roy - Thank you!

C.

[Canopy]

Sorry, double post.

[Debra A]

Great site, Roy! thanks for posting that link.
This one caught my eye:

General paresis, also known as general paralysis of the insane or paralytic dementia, is a neuropsychiatric disorder affecting the brain and central nervous system, caused by syphilis infection.

Tracy might be interested in this one as well, it might explain a few things.

[lynn cates]

Mickle

Hello Debs. Indeed.

Here is a link to W. Julius Mickle's 1880 definitive treatise on that. Recognise the name?

http://books.google.com/books?id=r33XKKbNurEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=General+paralysis+of+the+insane&hl=en&ei=8Ty9TYOrO-He0QHMyt3FBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CFEQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Cheers.
LC

[Debra A]

Thanks for the link, Lynn...a whole book on the subject!
This Mickle is the same doctor who refused to let Isenschmid be subjected to an ID?...I looked it up.

[Robert]

Debs, if there were more than one Mickle, that would make a muckle.

[Errata]

Cohen passed away in asylum in October 1889. "The appropriate cause given was 'exhaustion of mania' bringing on pulmonary phthisis." (Fido p 220)

The List of Archaic Medical Terms says that is tuberculosis. (click)

Roy

Well, this is a puzzle to me. Is this one of those Victorian assumptions about medicine that turned out not to be so true? I am Bipolar, so I get the mania, I even get "exhaustion of mania". But is this saying that the mania caused the tuberculosis? Or that the exhaustion of mania left him unable to fight the tuberculosis he already had? Because one is physically possible, as opposed to the other. Not important in the grand scheme of things, but I am always fascinated by the development of mental health care.

[Roy Corduroy]

Good evening Errata,

But is this saying that the mania caused the tuberculosis? Or that the exhaustion of mania left him unable to fight the tuberculosis he already had? Because one is physically possible, as opposed to the other.

Which do you consider possible?

Roy

[Errata]

Good evening Errata,



Which do you consider possible?

Roy

Well, after mania, the exhaustion and depression can certainly lead to an immunosuppressed state that would allow a pre-existing case of tuberculosis to become fatal.

neither exhaustion nor mania can create a bacterial infection

Which may be what he meant, it just would then be worded oddly.

[Semper_Eadem]

I agree with Errata, I think the mania weakened Cohen enough for the TB to get him in the end. I do wonder if the Pulmonery Tuberculious was confined to the lungs or had attacked other organs as well?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001141/

[Errata]

I agree with Errata, I think the mania weakened Cohen enough for the TB to get him in the end. I do wonder if the Pulmonery Tuberculious was confined to the lungs or had attacked other organs as well?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001141/

Well one of the things I had forgotten was that Tuberculosis can go dormant. It was the condition that sanitoriums tried to trigger with plenty of fresh air, low humidity, nutritious food, and lots of rest. It was a stopgap, but people could and did extend their lives by quite a bit with these methods. Someone who is persistently manic would be unable to rest enough, and someone who is poor would be unable to get the appropriate nutrition to induce dormancy. Therefore David Cohen would die far more quickly than say, Robert Louis Stevenson.

[Cogidubnus]

The things you learn from these threads...thanks all...most enlightening!

Dave

[curious]

The things you learn from these threads...thanks all...most enlightening!

Dave

Even is the killer(s) are never identified, these threads are an education, aren't they?

[Semper_Eadem]

Thank Errata, for your input,

Hi Dave and Curious, Errata too, I am curious about the full blown mania as a friend of mine from Mexico that I cleaned hotel rooms with might of seen it as a child in Mexico. I heard about this from her in 2002 when I was working at Super 8, I hated that job too, which probably why I didn't remember her telling me about what she had seen. She said it looked like demonic possession, which further mislead me, anyways, I can't help but wonder if Cohen having continuous full blown mania might not of died from it and TB. Especially if his mind was gone or blown like a fuse like Martin Fido implied in that rippercast, where Cohen was discussed. I am gonna see if I can get a hold of his book to get myself somewhat up to date on Cohen as I find him very interesting, as a person, not as a suspect yet as I don't know enough about him, plus I have been on that merry go round already and am not getting back on.

Joseph List, the infamous pimp of south Africa is also on my list of people to study, but that is another thread. I wonder if he is related to John Emil List who killed his entire family back in 1971.