GD Tatiana's Illness in 1913

[Tatiana02]

What is Orangeade?
And how did shaving or cutting her hair short help ..anything?  

[Holly]

I think the high fever and antibiotics caused her hair to fall out and Alexandra thought that by shaving her head it would be easier and it would help it to grow back faster.

[Georgiy]

Orangeade would be something like Fanta or orange-juice instead of the lemon in lemonade.

[Sarushka]

And how did shaving or cutting her hair short help ..anything?  

It didn't! The idea that hair grows more quickly after being cut is a myth (as is the idea that hair grows back thicker the more you cut it). It does grow back more evenly, though...

[stacey]

Er---no antibiotics in existence in 1913 (first used to treat wounded soldiers during WW11)--so poor Tatiana had to fight the infections off all on her own basically. This is a fascinating thread, until I read something about it on here just last night I had no idea Tatiana had had this illness or lost her hair twice--in 1913 AND 1917, after the measles. Poor girl!!

[Romanov_fan]

But she looked lovely with short hair, although I am sure she did not like it short as that was not accepted convention back then at all.

[Sarushka]

I've read on several sites that Tatiana became seriously ill in early 1913 from drinking orangeade at a party.  As a result she had to have her hair cut short, or shaved.  This led to her having to wear a wig for the formal portraits taken during the Tercentenery in March of that year.  Does anyone have any information on exactly what she had, or when precisely she fell ill?  Thanks.

Although she never mentions typhoid specifically by name, nor the orangeade that allegedly caused it, Olga's 1913 diary pinpoints some of the details of Tatiana's illness:

22 February: "poor Tatiana is in bed with fever"
23-28 February: various notes on Tatiana's temperature and headache. The highest temp was 39.7 on 27 Feb.
1 March: "Tatiana's temperature was 38.1 in the morning, in the afternoon 37.8, 38.6 in the evening. She is feeling better."
5 March: "Sat with her [Olga A] and Mama in T[atiana]'s room, who had her hair cut short. In the morning: 38.9, 39.1, after bath - 39."
13 March: "Tatiana's temperature is normal."
19 March: "T[atiana] was lying on the couch and walked around a little."
21 March: "T[atiana] came down for the first time today."
23 March: "T[atiana] was downstairs the whole time and is absolutely happier. She got considerably taller."
27 March: "T[atiana] came out on to the balcony for 45 minutes."
3 April: "T[atiana] went for a ride in the garden for the first time, and ate with us, too."

[ImperialxTwilight]

Thanks for posting that! Now we have a little better of an idea of how Tatiana was during her illness!

[historyfan]

And how did shaving or cutting her hair short help ..anything?  

It didn't! The idea that hair grows more quickly after being cut is a myth (as is the idea that hair grows back thicker the more you cut it). It does grow back more evenly, though...

Would it make sense, though, that because it was a very high fever, that shaving the hair off might make the patient feel better?  As in, the heat can escape the head more readily...?  I don't know.

I read that it was a common treatment.

[historyfan]

It seems out of all the children, Tatiana was the girl who got ill most often.

If that is indeed true, it would be another inheritance from her mother, wouldn't it?

[historyfan]

I've read on several sites that Tatiana became seriously ill in early 1913 from drinking orangeade at a party.  As a result she had to have her hair cut short, or shaved.  This led to her having to wear a wig for the formal portraits taken during the Tercentenery in March of that year.  Does anyone have any information on exactly what she had, or when precisely she fell ill?  Thanks.

I wasn't aware that the Grand Duchess(es) had their hair shaved twice - they were recovering from measles when their captivity began in 1917, as well. 

[Ally Kumari]

I don´t think she had her hair actually ahved. Just cut. Like here:

[Sarushka]

It seems out of all the children, Tatiana was the girl who got ill most often.

If that is indeed true, it would be another inheritance from her mother, wouldn't it?

I don't have the impression that any one of the children was more inclined to illness than the others -- with the exception of Aleksei's hemophilia, of course. Maria is generally seen as the most physically robust of OTMAA, but her illnesses, though infrequent, were quite serious: hemorrhaging with tonsilitis, and contracting double pneumonia on top of measles, for example.

I think there's a thread around here somewhere with details of the children's health...


And Ally, you're correct about Tatiana's hair.

[mishaxenia]

I will post here my question, about the illness of Tatiana , you are aware of diaries or writings of Alexandra about the daughter's illness ? or of other family members ? I read in the forum, from the diary of olga the body temperature of those days (I'll get the book of Helen Azar )  while Nicola writes only “ Tatiana has a fever”
I was interested in the familiar appearance and private of the early days of the illness until early March.   Thanks