I'm writing this to several Lists, so my apologies in advance to those of you who will read this several times ....... Is there SKS with medical knowledge who can explain something for me? My GGgfather died in 1864 of what was loosely termed "damned foolishness" in the family. 30 years ago his last-surviving grandaughter used this term and explained to me that he had ridden on a railway locomotive on some inaugural run and caught a "chill" or something like that, and died of that. Then this past year I found his death certificate, which says the cause of death was "peritonitis". In my meagre medical knowledge I can think of no way to suffer peritonitis from getting a chill .... but am I missing something? I have found that these old family stories usually have a kernal of truth buried somewhere, and so can't help wondering whether there is a connection. I do know that he died very suddenly, aged 39, away from home, within 24 hours after writing a hasty Will. Any help appreciated. Unless specifically stated otherwise in this message, there is no intentional attachment on this e-mail transmission. Ken Harrison North Vancouver, Canada kenharrison11@cs.com HARRISON Yorkshire, Staffordshire, London (Highgate/Hampstead) POTCHIT Yorkshire FISHER London (Highgate/Hampstead) GRIFFIN Staffordshire STANLEY Staffordshire SMELLIE Lanark, Orkney, Glasgow, Tasmania STIRRAT Ayrshire & Glasgow BAIN Caithness MILLER Caithness, Swaziland SPENCE Orkney TRAILL Orkney SELKRIG Lanark WICKETSHAW Lanark MORRISON Perthshire, Islay, Dumbarton, Glasgow, Australia (Vic) BAIRD Renfrew HAM Australia (Vic) THOMPSON Suffolk AGGUS Suffolk BRIGHTWELL Suffolk LAWSON Clackmannan McNABB Islay MURRAY Dumfries, Renfrew GILLESPIE Dumfries HENDERSON Dumfries TICKET (TAKET) Dumfries CALDWELL Tyrone, Renfrew GRAHAM Tyrone, Ontario Genealogists never die ... they just lose their census.