I have recently found a childs (11 months old in 1851) death cert stating she died of "teething". This is not in my Beds roots but I wonder has anyone else come across the same cause of death stated. Jane

Jane asked: > I have recently found a childs (11 months old in 1851) death cert stating > she died of "teething". This is not in my Beds roots but I wonder has anyone > else come across the same cause of death stated.< and then Sandee reported: >I just now found the same 'cause of death', teething, for a child in Delhi, New York ca 1850.....and that is the only time I have ever come across this. now, twice in the past 20 minutes! < I have lots of history in India and this cause of death really puzzled me as it turned up frequently. Then my husband applied his logical brain and suggested that a teething baby could develop a fever, which in turn could lead to exhaustion, diarrhoea, dehydration, etc. etc., any of which could be the ultimate cause of death - except that it was teething at the time! No doubt the doctor and grieving parents knew exactly what it meant. It reminds me of an absence note (written on the inside sleeve of a cigarette packet) given to my Mum about one of her young pupils in the 1950's: " Johnny not come as he had dire rear threw a hole in his shoe." Puzzled? Explanation: child had holes in his shoes, feet got wet, child got a chill, child had diarrhoea - simple! Regards, Ruth in Brum (Birmingham, England.)