What was wrong with Tiny Tim in The Christmas Carol? Dickens never says. Thank you. A poster posted a clip from a

[debm55]

scene in A Christmas Carol and Tiny Tim was being carried by Bob Cratchit and Tim was holding a crutch. Every version of The Christmas Carol I have makes no mention of what is wrong with the boy. Was wondering if anyone read about the illness he had. TY

[sarge43]

1. Probably polio n/t

[debm55]

2. A poster posted a scene from the MaGoo Christmas Carol and Tiny Tim had a crutch. and was carried by Bob Cratchit, I was

just wondering. Thank you sarge43.

[debm55]

10. Thank you sarge43.

[XanaDUer2]

3. Polio?

[debm55]

11. Thank you XanaDUer2

[Srkdqltr]

4. Dickens never knew. He asked around but no one knew the name of the boys problem so he didn't name it in the story.

All they ever said was that the boy used a crutch and limped. His dad carried him around a lot because of the boy's condition. The doctors didn't know either. Dickens was smart not to give the condition a name so that when people in 2024 asked no one could give a good answer.
There will probably be a 100 post thread giving scholarly ideas entirely made up in their heads for the cause of Tim's condition.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Interesting

I wasn't aware there was a real life model for Tim.

[happybird]

5. Considering the location and time period: a combination of rickets and TB is the most

common theory. Some think his suffering is a metaphor for societal neglect, not a clinical illness.

https://www.livescience.com/18802-dickens-tiny-tim-diagnosis.html

[debm55]

9. Thank you happybird.

[Sneederbunk]

7. Something to do with gluten.

[True Dough]

8. Tiny Tim

was a notorious hypochondriac. Don't fall for his act!

[debm55]

12. Oh True Dough.

[True Dough]

13. Hahaha!

I welcome such responses, deb!

[debm55]

14. I bet you do. HAHAHHHAHAHHAH

[sorcrow]

15. Great question

Could be almost anything, given the conditions in 19th century London, polio, badly healed break, even an infected splinter.


(Maybe he tripped while tiptoeing through the tulips.)

Best regards,
Sorghum Crow

[debm55]

16. Thank you socrow.

[Xavier Breath]

17. Brain cloud.

[Alpeduez21]

30. A brain cloud!?

He should get a second opinion. But no matter what the luggage comes with him

[Xavier Breath]

33. A favorite movie of mine, and criminally underrated, if you ask me.

[debm55]

34. Thank you Xavier Breath.

[if..fish..had..wings]

18. 'Tis sad but

I never had no Mother nen--fer my Pa runned away
An' dassn't come back here no more--'cause he was drunk one day
An' stobbed a man in thish-ere town, an' couldn't pay his fine!
An' nen my Ma she died--an' I got 'Curv'ture of the Spine!'

James Whitcomb Riley

[debm55]

19. Don;t understand

:

[if..fish..had..wings]

23. Sorry

Tiny Tim had curvature of the spine, was the point. Obviously not clearly stated.

[debm55]

24. Thank you ,

[ailsagirl]

20. Per Google

Disregard if a duplicate...

"Tiny Tim is depicted as having a debilitating illness that requires him to use crutches, but the exact nature of his condition is never explicitly stated in the story; however, medical experts often speculate that he likely suffered from a combination of diseases like rickets, tuberculosis, or possibly polio, all common in impoverished areas during the time period the story is set in."

[debm55]

25. Thank you ailsagirl

[jmowreader]

21. He could have been injured, too

I'm thinking he had at least two different diseases - not uncommon among the poor in Dickens' time - plus got his foot run over by a horse cart.

[debm55]

26. Thank you jmowreader.

[Goatguy]

22. I consider something different.

Lespedeza beans. Is a hay that produces a small bean. People would make a “porridge” from it but can cause neurological damage in humans. Poor people would eat it. Is good easy grown fodder. Will grow wild. Just a thought.

[debm55]

27. Thank you Goatguy.

[CrispyQ]

28. I can never see the words Tiny Tim without hearing Tiptoe Through the Tulips.

[debm55]

29. Thank you CrispyQ.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

31. If the movie offers a clue...

At the end, Bob is holding Tim as Ebenezer looks on with a smile, and the kid shakes his leg like it's fixed. I'm guessing it was the plum pudding. 😏

[debm55]

32. Thank you buzzycrumbhunger for the clue