Operation Victim

Societygirl1892 · Post by **Societygirl1892** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:28 am

In Len Rebello's book, there are at least two mentions of a newspaper article from Foster's Daily Democrat out of Dover, NH stating the title "Lizzie Borden is Operation Victim". (Rebello pg. 318)
Are they referring to Lizzie's gallbladder surgery in February 1926 or was this a separate procedure? Or are they alluding to that she never fully recovered from that surgery?
Pammie

joe1956 · Post by **joe1956** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 10:56 am

I had my gall bladder removed last year, and recovered in no time. The surgery for gall bladder removal today is rather simple. It is done orthoscopically (I think I spelled it right :( In Lizzie's day, gall bladder surgery was considered a major operation. I was home the very same day of my surgery. Lizzie was in the hospital for days. Any surgery can aggravate other problems that exist in the body. I think this was the case with Lizzie. It seems that her body never completely recovered from the surgery due to secondary problems. most likely heart problems. I have had no problems after my surgery, but I remember my mother had many problems back in the early sixties after her gall bladder surgery. She vomited a great deal, and had to go back into the hospital until the secondary problems were solved. I am curious as to Lizzie's general health before the surgery. Are there any medical records anywhere? Did she have yearly physical exams? Did she go into her gall bladder surgery with any pre-existing conditions?

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:05 pm

She did make out her will not long before that gall bladder surgery. Tho her doctor seems to have been Dr. Annie McRae, her last doctor was a Dr. Mason. Dr. MacRae lived on New Boston Road in Fall River, not real far from Maplecroft. There is a house on the lot today that may be the same one she was in back then.

She left Dr. Annie MacRae $1,000 in her will. So it sounds like they were friends as well.

There are no dental records on Lizzie. I checked pretty thoroughly on that. Medical records? I've never heard of any, but I hope there are some that'll show up some day. It's another story whether we'd get to see them if they did show up, due to privacy laws, dang it.

There was no other operation that Lizzie had after the gall bladder one. She had that done at Truesdale Hospital. Joe is right - she never recovered really from it. She lost a lot of weight afterwards. She contracted pneumonia, and she had a heart condition. I don't know how long she had the heart condition, but it is the official major cause of her death. She died in her bedroom at Maplecroft. (I don't know if it was in her winter or summer bedroom.)

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 2:41 am

Is some of this (above) from The Sourcebook?

Page 330 under title "Lizzie Borden Dead" by newspaper unknown, dated June 2, 1927, first paragraph:
"Miss Lizzie Andrew Borden, nationally known as the defendant in the famous Lizzie Borden murder trial of 1893, died at 8:30 last evening at her home, 306 French street, Fall River. Death was due to heart disease, her physician, Dr. Annie Campbell Macrae*, stated this morning. She had been in poor health for some years. She was 68."

*Note this is the 3rd spelling of the name so far in total, including previous post and this partial transcription.

Also, my inclusion of this transcription here does not mean it is the final answer as to what Lizzie's last illness was.

But I don't see "pneumonia" in The Sourcebook," but in Lisbeth Borden's "Record of Death" I read "Myocarditis."

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:19 am

One of the several sources that say Lizzie had pneumonia at the end is:

http://law.jrank.org/pages/12172/Borden-Lizzie.html

Click on their last part, "American Folklore".

Under "Citing this material" they say: "Content of this website is from high quality, licensed material originally published in print form. You can always be sure you're reading unbiased factual and accurate information."

I've read it in other places. Had you not read it before, Kat?

I guessed on Annie MacRae's spelling. Rebello spells it as "Macrae".

From Rebello, page 337, regarding Dr. Mason: "A Dr. William Mason was located at 151 Rock Street where Dr. Macrae had been a physician. Dr. William Mason was Lizzie's physician at the time of her death in 1927."

The official cause of her death was "myocarditis" - heart disease ("heart disease" - a general term referring to any condition that affects the heart. - yourtotalhealth.com).

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 2:12 pm

No I'm not sure that I have read it before that Lizzie had pneumonia. Would that be on a "Record of Death" as a "contributing cause?"
Well you say "several sources" and "other places" so is there another source, that is not Internet site?

I will look around the newspapers I guess, if I have a chance.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:24 pm

I'm looking in the papers and find one that is from The Fall River Daily Globe, June 2, 1927, page 1 with the headline "Lisbeth Borden Dies After Short Illness, Age 68."
It does state: "She had been ill with pneumonia for about a week, although for some time she had been in failing health." etc.

I looked at several papers and they all mostly said that Lizzie never fully recovered from her surgery and/or she died of heart disease:
The Providence Evening Bulletin of June 2, The Evening Standard of June 2, and whatever papers that were in The Sourcebook.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:27 pm

I accidentally tried to edit for spelling by using my back button: ending up with a double post.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:38 pm

Good tracking, Kat!

I had not heard she had died of heart disease until fairly recently (the death notice transcription in Rebello and one other newspaper article). I had always read of the pneumonia, or just that she never fully recovered from that gall bladder operation. You'll probably run into more sources that mention the pneumonia.

So far, it's been unclear to me how long she had the heart disease. And it's also unclear about Annie MacRae and Dr. Mason - how long had Dr. Mason been her physician. And what medical role did Annie MacRae play in Lizzie's life near the end of her life. I had always assumed that Annie MacRae was her physician at her death because of the article in Rebello that says she told the press of Lizzie's death, and because Lizzie left her a thousand bucks in her will.

Annie MacRae seems to have left Fall River at some time. I've found nothing on where she went or when.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:04 am

I've looked for the pneumonia and found it in one source out of 4. It's your turn to find it if you are confident it is elsewhere. Has anyone else read this?

It's in William's Casebook, pg. 255, but that source is the same one I cited earlier- the Fall River Daily Globe of June 2, 1927. Maybe you read the same notice from the Globe in other places?
As I posted, I checked The Sourcebook. I've also checked Rebello.
Maybe it is in the New York Times? I've not looked at that. I think you have that?

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 3:26 am

Could this possibly be our Dr. Annie C. Macrae? Its a book on Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics. There is a chapter by Dr. P.E. Truesdale of Fall River, Massachusetts on the Pylorus. At the end he notes: For the pathological specimens and many valuable suggestions in connection with this study, I am indebted to Dr. Annie C. Macrae. Its on page 303 in case the link doesn't bring up the exact page.

http://books.google.com/books?id=eKECAA ... #PPA303,M1

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:49 am

Susan - It looks like a good find! I would think that is "our" Annie Macrae that's being referred to.

I cited a good source five posts from the top.