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Across the Fence:  Little House fans: A "History Mystery" re: Mary  |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 12:26:37 PM
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Fascinating article in the New York Times today disputing Scarlet Fever is what made Mary Ingalls blind. More probable, viral meningoencephalitis, but the author changed it to Scarlet Fever because it would be more familiar to readers. Also to note that Doctors feel that when telling parents their child has contracted Scarlet Fever, parents often equate that with the Little House or Little Women stories and panic (and think of blindness or worse), for which there is little reason in this day of modern medicine.
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/scarlet-fever-probably-didnt-blind-mary-ingalls/
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
Edited by - FebruaryViolet on Feb 05 2013 12:36:13 PM |
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LeighErica
True Blue Farmgirl
306 Posts
Erica
PA
USA
306 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 12:59:33 PM
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| I too read the article and pondered if the case was this....instead of changing the cause to Scarlet Fever for the readers...back then would they have know it was meningoencephalitis? Was that a known disease...or were the symptoms so close to Scarlet Fever they just diagnosed all cases as Scarlet Fever not knowing any differently. Either way....the findings are interesting. Erica:) |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 1:06:17 PM
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Well, really, that just means "brain fever" so it would have been rather vague diagnosis--there was such a thing, however, it wasn't nearly as "sexy" as Scarlet Fever. None of the symptoms are similar, really, other than high fever.
Even though the Little House stories were adapted journals, there was still a publisher and editor who had their say (who want to sell books, too). I can see that Scarlet Fever would have probably been the disease du jour since there was so much love for the serial Little Women and other books of the time with the fever mentioned.
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 4:45:33 PM
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Actually many diseases were given generic names whose symptoms seemed to be the same or similar. Fever n ague which was an illness that the ingalls contract when they moved to Kansas was thought to be malaria. Who knows. And just a side note, with the research I've done on Laura, her series was written from memories from Mary 's and carries memories as well as her own and written in collaboration with her daughter rose. It is also a theroy that rose is the ghost writer of the series, but I find that hard to swallow.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
Edited by - queenmushroom on Feb 05 2013 4:46:33 PM |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2013 : 4:47:14 PM
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Laura didn't keep journals.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2013 : 06:50:43 AM
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I am aware of that Rose is given the majority of credit for actually compounding the recollections from Mary's journals and Laura's rememberances and that Laura didn't keep journals.
This link was simply posted as an interesting article that addresses both literary embellishment and actual, factual sypmtoms of disease. The (Little House)series, though originally written as an autobiographical series, was passed over and over by publishers as not having enough drama, so you could see how there would be some altering and embellishment to get them "sellable", though Laura did write and publish non-fictional articles in newspapers.
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2013 : 4:50:51 PM
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Good info, ladies!
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2013 : 5:15:23 PM
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Very interesting. I remember my mom getting very upset when my dd had scarlet fever, yet my pediatrician shrugged it off as no big deal. Even when she had a tummy bug, my mom got worried, as my grandmother's twin died in 1913 of dysentery...something that never happens in modern times.
As for Rosé being a ghost writer, I don't think she was the only writer to Laura's books. I have a book that is a collection of Laura's writings as a local paper columnist - you can see the spirited "half-pint" all grown up.
Love this post! Love Laura Ingalls.
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Farmgirl of the Month, January 2013
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2013 : 07:26:10 AM
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Nicole what is the name of the book? Would like to read it if I can get one.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2013 : 11:13:18 AM
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The book that I really enjoyed was "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder The Woman Behind the Legend " by John E. Miller. I've read it numerous times.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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Across the Fence: Little House fans: A "History Mystery" re: Mary |
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Little House fans: A "History Mystery" re: Mary
