Illnesses of Grand Duchess Anastasia

[Joanna]

Grand Duchess Anastasia - diphtheria in 1907

https://winterpalaceresearch.blogspot.com/2018/12/grand-duchess-anastasias-disease-at.html

Joanna

[edubs31]

Interesting minor historical nugget here, and thanks for sharing.

I was mostly unaware of this. Is it known how sick little Nastya was and for how long? Contracting diphtheria if you were a member of the Russian aristocracy would seem rare & highly unlikely. I’ve read there was a pre-antibiotic death rate in the 5-10% range but would have to imagine the odds were even lower for Anastasia given the quality of medical treatment (for the time) she would have received.

There seems to have been some pretty serious measures taken by the IF and their handlers from ever being exposed to this again. Doesn’t surprise me given the frailty of Alexei’s condition and Alix’s generally paranoia towards illness & injury.

[DNAgenie]

Alex's mother, Alice, died of diphtheria while nursing her children through the disease, and one child (May) also died, so Alex had good reason to fear it.

[TimM]

Nastya would recover, only to by murdered 11 years later.

[Sanochka]

Joanna, I read your post; the urgency that clearly surrounded Anastasia's illness comes through and is sobering.

[GDSophie]

They were so afraid that they could lose Anastasia like Alexandra lost her mother and sister that they built a disinfection chamber in Peterhof so it didn't happen again. The fear was that great.

[TimM]

Of course, the Imp got better.

[clockworkgirl21]

Interesting to know that those photos of Alexandra dressed similarly to a nurse were taken when she was nursing Anastasia through her illness.

[TimM]

Alexandra's first taste of nursing, I guess.