The Artificial Intelligence tools (like ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, Gemini, Grok, Meta, Grok, and Perplexity) can provide much useful and nearly instant information about subjects in a concise format, especially when they have been pre-trained on a large volume of information about the subjects.
After writing ABC Biography of #22 Henry Arnold White (1824-1885) of Rhode Island and Connecticut and ABC Biography of #23 Amy Frances (Oatley) White (1826-1864) of Rhode Island and Connecticut, I wondered if the FREE AI tools could provide me with more information about the medical conditions that caused the deaths of my 2nd great-grandparents. Henry died of "locomotor ataxia" and Amy died of a "strangulated hernia."
1) The first prompt for OpenAI ChatGPT4 was: "My 2nd great-grandfather died of locomotor ataxia in 1885 in Killingly, Conn. What causes this disease, what are the symptoms, what are the treatments, and what is the timeline?"
The ChatGPT4 response was:
Locomotor ataxia, especially as diagnosed in the 19th century, refers most commonly to tabes dorsalis, a late manifestation of neurosyphilis—a progressive degeneration of the spinal cord caused by untreated syphilis infection, often contracted decades earlier.
🔬 Cause
Syphilis infection (Treponema pallidum) left untreated over many years.
Locomotor ataxia (tabes dorsalis) typically develops 15 to 30 years after initial syphilis exposure.
The condition specifically affects the dorsal columns and dorsal roots of the spinal cord, which are responsible for proprioception (the sense of body position) and vibration sensation.
⚠️ Symptoms
Symptoms develop gradually and worsen over time, typically including:
Gait abnormalities:
The hallmark is ataxia, or a staggering, uncoordinated walking pattern.
The patient often slaps their feet down when walking due to a loss of position sense.
Lightning pains:
Sudden, sharp, stabbing pains in the legs or abdomen.
Loss of deep tendon reflexes, especially the knee and ankle jerks.
Sensory problems:
Numbness or tingling, especially in the lower limbs.
Impaired proprioception (unable to tell where limbs are in space with eyes closed).
Bladder dysfunction:
Urinary incontinence or retention.
Vision problems:
Progressive loss of sight due to optic atrophy.
Charcot joints:
Painless joint swelling and deformity from unnoticed injuries due to lack of sensation.
Mental decline (in later stages, possibly overlapping with general paresis of the insane—a related neurosyphilitic condition).
🩺 Treatment
In 1885, no effective treatment was available. Mercury and arsenic-based compounds (e.g., Fowler’s solution) were used for syphilis, but with limited benefit and severe toxicity. Locomotor ataxia was considered incurable once it had developed.
Modern treatment includes:
Penicillin (high-dose intravenous) to kill the Treponema pallidum bacterium.
Physical therapy to manage gait and mobility issues.
Pain management (for lightning pains).
Treatment is most effective before tabes dorsalis develops—irreversible nerve damage cannot be undone.
⏳ Timeline of Disease
Initial syphilis infection (typically sexually transmitted) — usually unnoticed or only mildly symptomatic.
Latent period — 10 to 30 years without major symptoms.
Onset of locomotor ataxia/tabes dorsalis — gradual progression over years.
Progressive disability — patient becomes increasingly impaired, often wheelchair-bound or bedridden.
Death — from complications such as infections, malnutrition, or secondary conditions (urinary tract infection, pneumonia).
📜 Historical Context
In the 19th century, locomotor ataxia was sometimes euphemistically labeled in death records to avoid the stigma of syphilis. Many suffered in silence, and the condition was tragically common among men who had contracted syphilis in their youth—especially veterans, urban workers, and travelers.
If your 2nd great-grandfather died of this in 1885 in Killingly, Connecticut, he likely contracted syphilis in the 1850s or earlier. This tells us something about his adult life decades prior—a fact that would’ve been known quietly within his family, if at all.
Let me know if you’d like help exploring his life in those earlier decades.
The second prompt for OpenAI ChatGPT4 was: "My 2nd great-grandmother died of a strangulated hernia in 1864 in Norwich, Conn. What causes this disease, what are the symptoms, what are the treatments, and what is the timeline?"
The ChatGPT4 response was:
A strangulated hernia is a serious and often fatal medical emergency—especially in the 1800s. It occurs when part of the intestine pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall (a hernia) and the blood supply to that part of the intestine is cut off (strangulated). Without blood, the tissue quickly becomes ischemic, necrotic (dies), and can cause systemic infection.
⚠️ Cause
A hernia (often inguinal or femoral in women) is a bulge of intestine or fat through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles.
If the protruding tissue becomes trapped (incarcerated) and then has its blood supply cut off, it becomes strangulated.
Common contributing factors:
Heavy lifting or physical labor
Pregnancy or repeated childbirth (abdominal wall weakening)
Chronic coughing or constipation (straining)
Prior surgery or abdominal injury
🩺 Symptoms
A strangulated hernia causes sudden, severe symptoms:
Severe abdominal pain at the hernia site
A tender, firm, and discolored (purple or dark red) bulge
Nausea and vomiting
Fever
Inability to pass gas or stool
Signs of sepsis as the strangulated bowel begins to die and leak bacteria
⏳ Timeline
Chronic hernia may exist for years without causing major problems.
Strangulation occurs suddenly, usually following a strain, fall, or unknown trigger.
Symptoms escalate rapidly over hours:
Pain intensifies
Vomiting begins
Fever and signs of systemic illness develop
Untreated, the patient may die within 24 to 72 hours from bowel necrosis, perforation, and septic shock.
🏥 Treatment (Then and Now)
In 1864 (Pre-modern surgery era):
Limited treatment options.
Surgery was in its infancy—performed without antibiotics or modern anesthesia.
Hernia trusses (tight undergarments or belts) were used as non-surgical aids.
If strangulation occurred, surgery was sometimes attempted, but mortality was extremely high (over 50%) due to:
Infection (no antisepsis or antibiotics)
Shock and blood loss
Limited surgical knowledge of abdominal anatomy
Most patients died within a few days unless the hernia resolved on its own (rare).
Today:
Emergency surgical repair is performed immediately to:
Free or remove the strangulated intestine
Repair the hernia defect
Outcomes are excellent if treated within hours.
📜 Historical Insight
Your 2nd great-grandmother’s death in 1864 from a strangulated hernia in Norwich, Connecticut, suggests she had a chronic hernia—possibly after multiple pregnancies or years of heavy labor—and that it suddenly turned fatal.
She may have suffered intense pain for a short period, possibly mistaken for colic or “female trouble” until it became obvious she was gravely ill. By the time a doctor was called, it may have been too late—or surgery may have been deemed too dangerous or impossible given her condition.
Would you like help reconstructing what her daily life and circumstances may have been in Norwich in the early 1860s?
3) Sometimes the truth may be a family secret and hidden from descendants. The "Locomotor Ataxia" cause of death of Henry White in 1885 is a big surprise to me. What a terrible way to suffer over decades and die knowing that it can occur at any time. I know that his longtime doctor was a neighbor, Dr. E.A. Hill, who provided the cause of death and would have known about it, and treated it, for some period of time. According to ChatGPT4, it was not common, and not rare. It was well-known at the time, and accounted for about 1% of male deaths at the time. [Note to self: I have a book about Dr. E.A. Hill's practice, and I need to check that! Where did I put it?].
4) What about Amy (Oatley) White's death in 1864 in Norwich, Connecticut? It happened very quickly and could not be avoided or ameliorated. What a terrible way to die at age 38. I don't know why Amy was in Norwich at the time of her death? Was she visiting a relative or a friend? Or was she separated from Henry? That's possible, and might be another family secret.
5) Did Amy's death in 1864 lead Henry to find other women, and contract the disease? Amy's death was 21 years before Henry's, so it's in the middle of the year range for life expectancy with the disease. Henry did marry again, to a cousin Almira E. (Taft) Winslow in 1866, and had two children with her. Did his disease affect Almira or the children? We can't know, I think.
6) Without more detailed family records, family histories, or medical records, these are the types of issues that genealogists and family historians don't know about unless there are records for our ancestors. Sometimes you don't really want to know! One of my favorite sayings is "Pobody's nerfect."
7) One of the problems with writing about a person's life is that we have only snapshots of events in their life that were recorded. We don't know the everyday activities, interactions with family, associates and neighbors, the problems with work and emotions, etc., unless we have family stories from them or about them.
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