mark@kinweb.org wrote: > > My great grandfather died in 1924 of "frozen lungs". Any thoughts on > exactly what that means? I mean, how does one literally freeze their > lungs? Surely if he froze to death it'd say that instead. > > Does the phrase refer to something else perhaps? Some sort of > respiratory disease maybe? > > He died in Wadena, Saskatchewan, and it's certainly cold enough to > freeze to death there at the right times of year, yet the phrase > sounds strange to me. > > Mark I had a relative stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. In winter they had to always breathe through a couple layers of scarf or "you'll freeze your lungs." Even if all you were doing was opening the door to take in the mail, you had to cover all exposed skin and your mouth and nose. Presumably, the cold was so frigid that it would literally paralyze the breathing muscles temporarily. At that point, one would pass out and by reflex, breathe in another lungful ... Today's Dx would probably be "pulmonary arrest", which isn't nearly as descriptive. Cheryl