Cause of Death: Modersjuka

[John Anderson]

Mother's sickness?  Does this mean she died in child-birth?
 
Thank you for your help,
 
John

[Judy Olson Baouab]

John,
 
Look at this Medical glossary (one of several on the SweGGate site). The word you asked about is defined there. The webmaster is a medical doctor.
 
http://www.rootsweb.com/~swewgw/Fact/facdic_med.htm
 
http://www.rootsweb.com/~swewgw/

[John Anderson]

Judy,
 
Perhaps I was looking in the wrong location on the website.  It was all in Swedish, so it was hard for me to tell.
 
But the link above gave me a translation of Mother's sickness, which was the same as what the Swedish-English Lexicon gave me on-line.  I didn't really explain anything.  
 
I have since read an article in a genealogy magazine that was talking about Midwives and how sometimes they gave infections to birthing mothers by not washing their hands before assisting in births.  This could often result in Sepsis, which can develop into a life-threatening illness.
 
I assume that Modersjuka may be something like this. I have not found an adequate English translation of the term yet.
 
Thank you again for the link,
 
John

[Judy Olson Baouab]

John,
 
The dictionary has words in Swedish followed by definitions in English, so it can't be all in Swedish. Directions are in English too in that section and in many other sections.
 
Have you tried asking the webmaster of SweGGate to provide a more detailed explanation for you? He is certainly capable. His English is more than superb (He puts many native English speaking/writing people to shame.) and he is a medical doctor.)
 
Judy

[John Winblad von Walter]

Hej John and Judy!
 
According to the Svenskt och Engelskt Ordbok (published in Stockholm in 1788), by Gustaf Widgren, the word modersjuka in English is defined as hysterical passion, i.e. she is mother sick, she is troubled with fits of the mother, she has fits of the mother.
 
Another Swedish-English dictionary from the 19th century describes modersjuka as hystericalness.
 
Med bästa hälsningar,
 
John Winblad von Walter, Carver, Minnesota, USA

[John Anderson]

I apologize Judy,
 
You are right.  I don't know what website I was thinking of when I responded to that, but you are correct that the directions are all in English.
 
I guess what I am having problems understanding is how Mother's Passion would translate into a medical term.  Obviously, more research is necessary on my part.  For instance...  could it be that the infant died at birth and the mother died of sadness shortly after?  I will have to check into that.
 
Thank you for the link Judy.
 
John

[John Anderson]

Hej John!
 
I also noticed from the link Judy provided that (hysteric is derived from Greek hystera = womb). So perhaps it could have been bleeding from the womb or some such ailment?
 
Thanks for the input, John.

[Cecilia Löwen]

There´s plenty of ailments women could die from,related to the womb after childbirth.Sometimes the placenta ruptured or didn´t come out properly when the child was out.
 
Today,if it happens,the placenta is removed surgically(i.e under anaesthetic,it´s a painful procedure) by scraping the womb clean.This may cause extensive bleeding,sometimes blood transfusion is necessary afterwards.Back then,a placenta which didn´t come out properly could result in sepsis,infection and death.
And also,women who have given birth many times(as was more usual then than now)will bleed more than other women after birth.Today mothers with many(say 4+) pregnancies behind them are checked up extra carefully because of this and the bleedings are stopped by womb-contracting drugs.I suppose they didn´t have any then.
 
I also come to think of post-partum depression/psychosis when I hear Mother´s Passion.It´s a serious mental condition even today,related partly to hormones.
 
 
 
 
 
(Meddelandet ändrat av cecilialoewen den 03 februari, 2008)

[Eva Leksell]

Moderpassion is not at all related to childbirth. In fact women could die of moderpassion when they were for example 60 or 70 years old. And it is not a medical diagnosis. I haven't seen any good explanation of what moderpassion really is, only guesses.

[Elin Sörman]

I have read somewhere it is a disease related to matrix (maybe cancer) or urinary infection. But I have also read about mental illness, hysteria or cramp...?