Common Diseases Found on Death Records
Terms vary by time and place. This list is a quick reference to help interpret historical wording.
| Disease name (historical) | Modern meaning / description |
|---|---|
| Apoplexy | Paralysis due to stroke. |
| Brain Fever | Meningitis. |
| Bright's Disease | Chronic inflammatory disease of the kidneys. |
| Child bed fever | Infection following childbirth. |
| Cholera | Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing. |
| Cholera morbus | Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc. (Sometimes used broadly; could indicate severe GI illness.) |
| Congestive chills/fever | Malaria. |
| Consumption | Tuberculosis. |
| Decrepitude | Feebleness due to old age. |
| Dropsy | Edema (swelling), often linked to kidney or heart disease. |
| Dropsy of the Brain | Encephalitis. |
| Dysentery | Inflammation of colon with frequent passage of mucus and blood. |
| Encephalitis | Swelling of brain; sometimes described as sleeping sickness. |
| Falling sickness | Epilepsy. |
| Flux | Excessive discharge of fluid (hemorrhage or diarrhea). |
| Grippe / grip | Influenza-like symptoms. |
| Jaundice | Condition marked by yellowing of skin/eyes; historically attributed to various causes. |
| Lagrippe | Influenza. |
| Lockjaw | Tetanus; infectious disease affecting muscles of the neck/jaw. |
| Lung fever | Pneumonia. |
| Lung sickness | Tuberculosis. |
| Meningitis | Inflammation of membranes around brain or spinal cord. |
| Nephrosis | Kidney degeneration. |
| Nephritis | Inflammation of the kidneys. |
| Quinsy | Abscess behind tonsils. |
| Small pox | Contagious disease with fever and blisters. |
| Summer complaint | Diarrhea, usually in infants (often linked to spoiled milk). |
| Tetanus | Infectious disease causing severe muscle spasms; can be fatal untreated. |
| Trench mouth | Ulcerative gum infection (acute necrotizing gingivitis). |
| Thrush | Childhood condition with spots in mouth, lips, and throat. |
| Tuberculosis | Bacterial infection that primarily attacks the lungs, but may affect kidneys, bones, lymph nodes, and brain. Symptoms can include cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, weight loss, fever, chills, and fatigue. |
| Typhus | Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache, and dizziness. |
| Winter fever | Pneumonia. |