Congestion Of The Lungs

[Barmaid]

A relative died in 1880 aged 15 of "congestion of the lungs" - what is this likely to be? I was thinking either pneumonia or tuberculosis. Any ideas, please?

[ChillDoubt]

In all likelihood pulmonary edema.

[sandyRoe]

Or maybe pleurisy

[RATTER15]

tuberculosis was more likely I would say.

[237SJ]

Probably fluid in the lungs (edema) caused by heart disease or pneumonia. I would have thought that if it was TB it would have said "consumption of the lungs"

[rowanwitch]

left sided heart failure causing pulmonary oedema

[Barmaid]

Ta. Would heart failure have been likely in a 15 year old though?

Although I suppose there could have been something congenital. An older brother died aged 6 from phthisis.

[Sqad]

Congestion of the lungs in a 15year old sound infective to me.......bronchpneumonia or pneumonia.

[Sqad]

phthsis is TB.

No, in a 15 year old heart failure would be unlikely.

[rowanwitch]

how about secondary to rheumatic fever that was more common back then I think

[Mosaic]

Or all of the above. Or asthma and all of the aforesaid.
The diagnoses you come across are not medical - they are usually observed symptoms described in widely varying language. One man's congestion is another man's consumption.
Even when post-mortems take place the limits of forensics were quite narrow and so unless it was staringly obvious the cause of death can still be annoyingly vague.

[cazzz1975]

I had a relative die in 1911 aged 15 of "galloping consumption" also known as TB

[cupotee]

My Grandfather died in 1906 on his death certificate it states Galloping Consumption.... also known as TB.