Most Common Causes of Death, 1830-1937
Medical certificates recorded at burial give these as the causes for half of all deaths. The majority were in the mid-19th century.
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Consumption or |
Tuberculosis or TB, it often struck those in their 20s and 30s. Contagious. |
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Still-birth |
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Scarlet Fever or Scarlatina |
Contagious |
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Dropsy |
Edema, or fluid retention. Dropsy on the brain is Encephalitis |
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Apoplexy |
Stroke |
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Dysentary |
Inflammation of the intestines |
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Croup |
Swelling of the air passages, now known to be caused by a parainfluenza virus |
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Hydrocephalus; Water on the Brain |
Excessive cerebrospinal fluid causing the head to enlarge |
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Cholera Infantum |
A non-contagious diarrhea, sometimes due to spoiled bottled milk |
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Inflammation of the Lungs |
Like so many other 19th-century causes, this is now considered a symptom of various primary diseases |
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Heart Disease |
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Convulsions |
© Anne W. Brown 2004