CAUSES OF DEATH

Catherine Lanzaro
born October 1895 in Brooklyn, NY
died August 16, 1896 in Brooklyn, NY, age 10 months.

Father: Unknown; born in Italy
Mother: Unknown; born in Italy

Cause of death: Cholera Infantum / Asthenia

Another mystery baby, along with Annie Lanzaro who died at birth. Neither death certificate provides an entry for the names of the parents, only their place of birth. The place of death is listed as a four-family house at 147 Conover Street in Brooklyn. This was the home to Elizabeth Lanzaro and her 4 small children, plus the home of Giuseppe and Petronilla Lanzara and their children Ciro, Salvatore and Carmela, and Carmela's husband Catello LaMura.

Catherine was born in October 1895 and died a week after Annie's birth/death. Catherine and Annie were born 10 months apart, so they could have had the same mother. But, I have no idea who that might have been.

Cholera Infantum, also called Summer Complaint was a common, non-contagious diarrhea of young children, occurring in summer or autumn. Symptoms are those of cholera. It was common among the poor. Death frequently occurred in three to five days. Probably due to food poisoning from spoiled milk as was most common in hot weather.

Typically, after a meal was served, food was covered and set aside (left at room temperature) for the next meal. Refrigerators did not exist. Infants and small children who had been recently weaned from the breast hadn't had time to build up an immune system, as had the adults and older children. If the child was started on solid food during the cooler parts of the year, the chances of ingesting spoiled food was less than in the hot summer months.

In little Catherine's case, the summer heat spoiled the food, her immune system was still too weak, and she became seriously ill. Add to this the fact that her mother had just given birth to another baby, Annie, who lived only a few hours. Catherine suffered severe diarrhea and fever, and died within a few days.

Asthenia is a medical term for Weakness. It may also be a euphemism for pulmonary tuberculosis.

Catherine is buried with Annie in Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn.

LANZARA-LANZARO FAMILY WEBPAGE