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Diseases

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Below are common diseases found on death records and that I have compiled through my genealogy research.  In addition, please see USGenWeb's list of Diseases (which are included below) ablepsy - blindness acute bronchitis acute coronary insufficiency acute dilation of heart (heart attack) acute influenza acute myocarditis chagas heart disease acute pericarditis acute pulmonary edema adenocarcinoma of the stomach the most common type of stomach cancer, accounting for almost all cancers that start in the stomach age agranulocytosis ague - malarial fever alzheimer's disease american plague - yellow fever amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (muscular dystrophy) anasarca - generalized massive edema angina, severe angina pectoris or simply angina aortic regurgitation aphonia - laryngitis aphtha - the infant disease "thrush" apoplexy stroke a stroke that happens quickly, it can also occur by a blood clot in a brain blood vessel; subarachnoid hemorrhage or stroke are sometimes called apoplexy appendicitis arteriosclerosis general arteriosclerotic heart disease, chronic ashd arteriosclerotic heart disease (ashd) asphycsia/asphicsia - cyanotic and lack of oxygen aspiration pneumonia atelectasis (collapsed lung), unknown etiology atrial fibrillation with renal insufficiency atrophy - wasting away or diminishing in size. bacillary dysentery bad blood - syphilis bilateral pleural effusion bilateral renal calculi bilious fever - typhoid, malaria, hepatitis or elevated temperature and bile emesis biliousness - jaundice associated with liver disease black fever - acute infection with high temperature and dark red skin lesions and high mortality rate black plague or death - bubonic plague black pox - black small pox black vomit - vomiting old black blood due to ulcers or yellow fever blackwater fever - dark urine associated with high temperature bladder in throat - diphtheria (seen on death certificates) blood poisoning - bacterial infection; septicemia bloody flux - bloody stools bloody sweat - sweating sickness bone shave - sciatica brain fever - meningitis, encephalitis brain tumor breakbone - dengue fever breech presentation bright's disease - chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys bronchial pneumonia or bronchopneumonia affects patches throughout both lungs bronchiectasis bronchogenic carcinoma (small cell lung cancer) bronze john - yellow fever bule - boil, tumor or swelling cachexy - malnutrition cacogastric - upset stomach cacospysy - irregular pulse caduceus - subject to falling sickness or epilepsy camp fever - typhus; aka camp diarrhea cancer cancer cachexia metabolic disorder that causes weight loss and muscle wasting; cachexia is most common in people with advanced pancreatic and lung cancer; but it can also occur in people with other types of cancer, including head and neck, colorectal, ovarian, and liver cancers cancer of the face canine madness - rabies, hydrophobia canker - ulceration of mouth or lips or herpes simplex carbolic acid carcinoma carcinoma of breast (right) carcinoma of lung (with metastasis) carcinoma of mouth carcinoma of stomach carcinoma of the colon (large colon) carcinoma of the liver carcinoma of the ovary carcinomatosis a rare condition that occurs when cancer cells from a primary tumor spread to other parts of the body, forming multiple tumors cardiac arrest cardiac arrhythmia cardiac decompensation a stage of heart failure cardio renal failure cardio respiratory failure cardiomegaly left bundle branch block cardiopulmonary fibrosis disease cardio-renal syndrome a condition that affects both the heart and kidneys cardiovascular collapse cardiovascular disease catalepsy - seizures / trances catarrhal - nose and throat discharge from cold or allergy catarrhal pneumonia a disease that begins with catarrh, or inflammation of the mucous membranes in the airways or cavities of the bod cerebral apoplexy stroke cerebral apoplexy with secondary hypertrophy prostatic death cerebral arteriosclerosis cerebral embolism cerebral hemorrhage cerebral thrombosis cerebral vascular accident (cva) cerebritis - inflammation of cerebrum or lead poisoning chilblain - swelling of extremities caused by exposure to cold child bed fever - infection following birth of a child chin cough - whooping cough chlorosis - iron deficiency anemia cholecystitus - inflammation of the gall bladder (acute) cholelithiasis - gall stones cholera - acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing cholera morbus - characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc. could be appendicitis chorea - disease characterized by convulsions, contortions and dancing chronic & recurrent hepatitis chronic arteriosclerosis chronic bronchitis chronic bronchopulmonary disease chronic glomerulonephritis chronic lateral nephritis chronic lymphocytic leukemia chronic myocarditis chronic pain syndrome arteriosus chronic pyelonephritis chronic pyelonephritis is continuing pyogenic infection of the kidney that occurs almost exclusively in patients with major anatomic abnormalities. symptoms may be absent or may include fever, malaise, and flank pain. diagnosis is with urinalysis, culture, and imaging test chronic thrombophlebitis (blood clot) cirrhosis of the liver cognitive impairment cold plague - ague which is characterized by chills colic - an abdominal pain and cramping condylar fracture (right femur) congenital cardiac weakness also known as congenital heart disease (chd), refers to heart defects present at birth congestion - any collection of fluid in an organ, like the lungs congestive chills - malaria congestive chills - malaria with diarrhea congestive fever - malaria congestive heart failure, consumption - tuberculosis coronary arteriosclerotic heart disease decompensated heart failure coronary artery disease coronary occlusion (resulting in a heart attack) coronary sclorsis coronary thrombosis corruption - infection coryza - a cold costiveness - constipation cramp colic - appendicitis crop sickness - overextended stomach croup - laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat cyanosis - dark skin color from lack of oxygen in blood cynanche - diseases of throat cystitis - inflammation of the bladder day fever - fever lasting one day; sweating sickness debilitas debility - lack of movement or staying in bed decrepitude - feebleness due to old age degenerative heart disease with demyelination dehydration and electrolyte imbalance delirium tremens - hallucinations due to alcoholism dementia chronic organic brain syndrome (long term) dengue - infectious fever endemic to east africa dentition - cutting of teeth deplumation - tumor of the eyelids which causes hair loss diabetes mellitus diabetic ketoacidosis diarrhea diary fever - a fever that lasts one day diffuse mestatis diptheria - contagious disease of the throat disseminated sclerosis ms distemper - usually animal disease with malaise, discharge from nose and throat, anorexia dock fever - yellow fever dropsy dropsy - edema (swelling), often caused by kidney or heart disease dropsy of the brain - encephalitis dry bellyache - lead poisoning dyscrasy - an abnormal body condition dysentery - inflammation of colon with frequent passage of mucous and blood dysorexy - reduced appetite dyspepsia - indigestion and heartburn. heart attack symptoms dysury - difficulty in urination eclampsy - symptoms of epilepsy, convulsions during labor ecstasy - a form of catalepsy characterized by loss of reason edema - nephrosis; swelling of tissues edema of lungs - congestive heart failure, a form of dropsy eel thing - erysipelas elephantiasis - a form of leprosy emphysema empyema of gallbladder empyema of the gallbladder is a serious disorder that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. the infection can quickly become systemic and cause multiple organ failure. the condition is best managed by an interprofessional team. most patients require aggressive hydration, iv antibiotics, and surgery. encephalitis - swelling of brain; aka sleeping sickness endocarditis, acute enteric fever - typhoid fever enteritis - inflations of the bowels enterocolitis - inflammation of the intestines epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis epilepsy epitaxis - nose bleed epithelioma (contributing epithelial cancer cells, lung metastatic) erysipelas - contagious skin disease, due to streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions, bacterial skin infection, st. anthony’s fire extravasted blood - rupture of a blood vessel falling sickness - epilepsy fatty liver - cirrhosis of liver fibrosis fits - sudden attack or seizure of muscle activity flux - an excessive flow or discharge of fluid like hemorrhage or diarrhea flux of humour - circulation fracture of left hip fractured thigh french pox - syphilis gall bladder disease gangrene due to embolism gastrectomy gastroesophageal carcinoma gastrointestinal bleeding gastrostomy feeding tube gathering - a collection of pus glandular fever - mononucleosis great pox - syphilis green fever / sickness - anemia grippe/grip - influenza like symptoms grocer's itch - skin disease caused by mites in sugar or flour heart ailment heart failure heart sickness - condition caused by loss of salt from body heat stroke - body temperature elevates because of surrounding environment temperature and body does not perspire to reduce temperature. coma and death result if not reversed hectical complaint - recurrent fever hematemesis - vomiting blood hematuria - bloody urine hemiplegia paralysis hemiplegia right side hemiplegy - paralysis of one side of body high blood pressure hip gout - osteomylitis horrors - delirium tremens hydrocephalus - enlarged head, water on the brain hydropericardium - heart dropsy hydrophobia - rabies hydrothroax - dropsy in chest hypertension hypertensive arteriolar nephrosclerosis progressive kidney damage caused by long-standing, poorly controlled hypertension hypertensive cardiovascular heart disease hypertrophic - enlargement of organ, like the heart hypostatic pneumonia impetigo - contagious skin disease characterized by pustules inanition physical condition resulting from lack of food inanition - physical condition resulting from lack of food infantile paralysis - polio intestinal colic abdominal pain due to improper diet inflammation of the brain injuries received during birth inoperable cancer of the jaw intercondylaris and fracture of left femur intercondylar fractures of the femur are difficult injuries to treat because of the thin cortices and other factors interstitial heart disease interstitial nephritis chronic intestinal obstruction aka bowel congestion intracranial hemorrhage involutional melancholia historical term, agitated depression that was thought to occur during middle age, particularly in women around menopause, presently known as major depressive disorder jail fever - typhus jaundice - condition caused by blockage of intestines king's evil - tuberculosis of neck and lymph glands kruchhusten - whooping cough lagrippe - influenza. laryngeal tuberculosis laryngeal tuberculosis (ltb) is a rare, highly contagious, and highly infectious form of tuberculosis that can affect the larynx leptomeningeal carcinomatosis liver metastases lobar pneumonia one or more sections (lobes) of the lungs lockjaw - tetanus or infectious disease affecting the muscles of the neck and jaw. untreated, it is fatal in 8 days. long pneumonia "long pneumonia," often referred to as chronic or recurrent pneumonia, describes pneumonia that lasts more than 6 weeks or recurs frequently. recovery from even typical pneumonia can take weeks, with severe cases potentially extending the recovery period to months long sickness - tuberculosis. lues disease - syphilis. lues venera - venereal disease. lumbago - back pain. lung fever - pneumonia lung sickness - tuberculosis lung tumor lying in - time of delivery of infant. lymphosarcoma malaria hematuria malignant sore throat - diphtheria. malignant tumor in colon malnutrition mania - insanity. marasmus - progressive wasting away of body, like malnutrition. membranous - croup diphtheria meningitis - inflations of brain or spinal cord metastasis diffuse lung (stage 4) metastatic carcinoma metastatic rectal cancer metritis - inflammation of uterus or purulent vaginal discharge miasma - poisonous vapors thought to infect the air milk fever - disease from drinking contaminated milk, like undulant fever or brucellosis milk leg - post partum thrombophlebitis milk sickness - disease from milk of cattle which had eaten poisonous weeds mitral valve regurgitation mormal - gangrene morphew - scurvy blisters on the body mortification - gangrene of necrotic tissue myelitis - inflammation of the spine myocardial degeneration a cardiovascular disorder that occurs when the myocardium, the middle layer of the heart wall, loses its normal structure or function myocardial infarction (myocardial failure) myocarditis - inflammation of heart muscles natural causes necrosis - mortification of bones or tissue nephritis nephrosis - kidney degeneration nepritis - inflammation of kidneys nervous attack, fatal in the 1900s wasn't a recognized cause of death, the condition known as neurasthenia (outdated term, primarily from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, closely related to modern conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia), or americanitis, was prevalent nervous prostration - extreme exhaustion from inability to control physical and mental activities neuralgia - described as discomfort, such as "headache" was neuralgia in head nostalgia - homesickness. osteonecrosis also known as avascular necrosis, of the tibia (the shin bone) occurs when the bone's blood supply is disrupted, leading to bone cell death palsy - paralysis or uncontrolled movement of controlled muscles. it was listed as "cause of death" paralysis due to hemorrhage of the brain parkinson's paroxysm - convulsion pemphigus - skin disease of watery blisters pericarditis - inflammation of heart peripheral arterial thrombosis peripneumonia - inflammation of lungs peritonotis - inflammation of abdominal area pernicious anemia petechial fever - fever characterized by skin spotting puerperal exhaustion death due to child birth phthiriasis - lice infestation phthisis chronic wasting away or a name for tuberculosis plague - an acute febrile highly infectious disease with a high fatality rate pleurisy - any pain in the chest area with each breath pneumococcal arthritis a form of septic arthritis caused by the bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia podagra - gout poliomyelitis - polio potter's asthma - fibroid pthisis pott's disease - tuberculosis of spine premature birth puerperal convulsion or puerperal eclampsia puerperal exhaustion - death due to childbirth puerperal fever - elevated temperature after giving birth to an infant, a postpartum infection that occurs in women after childbirth puking fever - milk sickness pulmonary edema pulmonary embolism sudden blockage in your pulmonary arteries, the blood vessels that send blood to your lungs pulmonary embolus blood clot that travels to another part of your body is called an embolus pulmonary tuberculosis (and interstitial) putrid fever - diphtheria. quinsy - tonsillitis. recurrent and metastatic carcinoma remitting fever - malaria renal failure (chronic) rhabdomyosarcoma (rms) rare soft tissue cancer rheumatism rheumatism - any disorder associated with pain in joints rickets disease of skeletal system right heart failure (rhf) right heart failure (rhf) is a clinical syndrome in which symptoms and signs are caused by dysfunction of the right heart structures (predominantly the right ventricle [rv], but also the tricuspid valve apparatus and right atrium) or impaired vena cava flow, resulting in impaired ability of the right heart to perfuse rose cold - hay fever or nasal symptoms of an allergy. rotanny fever - (child's disease) ??? rubeola - german measles ruptured aneurysm (subarachnoid hemorrhage) sanguineous crust - scab scarlatina - scarlet fever scarlet fever - a disease characterized by red rash scarlet rash - roseola sciatica rheumatism in the hips scirrhus - cancerous tumors scotomy - dizziness, nausea and dimness of sight screws - rheumatism scrivener's palsy - writer's cramp scrofula - tuberculosis of neck lymph glands. progresses slowly with abscesses and fistulas develop. young person's disease scrumpox - skin disease, impetigo scurvy - lack of vitamin c. symptoms of weakness, spongy gums and hemorrhages under skin senile gangrene gangrene due to lack of blood supply resulting from sclerosis of blood vessels senility sepsis septicemia - blood poisoning severe aortic valve stenosis (cardiac dilation) severe osteopetrosis of dorsal vertebrae shakes - delirium tremens shaking - chills, ague shingles - viral disease with skin blisters ship fever - typhus siriasis - inflammation of the brain due to sun exposure sloes - milk sickness small pox contagious disease with fever and blisters softening of brain result of stroke or hemorrhage in the brain, with an end result of the tissue softening in that area sore throat distemper - diphtheria or quinsy spanish influenza - epidemic influenza spasms - sudden involuntary contraction of muscle or group of muscles, like a convulsion spina bifida - deformity of spine spotted fever - either typhus or meningitis sprue - tropical disease characterized by intestinal disorders and sore throat st. anthony's fire - also erysipelas, but named so because of affected skin areas are bright red in appearance st. vitas dance - ceaseless occurrence of rapid complex jerking movements performed involuntary status asthmaticus respiratory failure that comes with the worst form of acute severe asthma, or an asthma attack still born stomatitis - inflammation of the mouth stranger's fever - yellow fever strangery - rupture strep septicemia subdermal hemorrhage (traumatic brain injury) sudor anglicus - sweating sickness summer complaint - diarrhea, usually in infants caused by spoiled milk. sunstroke - uncontrolled elevation of body temperature due to environment heat. lack of sodium in the body is a predisposing cause. surgical removal of the stomach and connecting the esophagus to the small intestine, usually done to prevent spread of stomach cancer. swamp sickness - could be malaria, typhoid or encephalitis sweating sickness - infectious and fatal disease common to uk in 15th century terminal pneumonia testicular seminoma (testicular cancer, rare cancer) tetanus - infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache and dizziness thrombosis - blood clot inside blood vessel thrombosis popliteal blood clot develops in the popliteal vein. the popliteal vein runs behind the knee and is one of several blood vessels that carry blood from the leg into the inferior vena cava, which is a large vein that carries blood from the lower body to the heart thrush - childhood disease characterized by spots on mouth, lips and throat tick fever - rocky mountain spotted fever toxemia of pregnancy - eclampsia trench mouth - painful ulcers found along gum line, caused by poor nutrition and poor hygiene tuberculosis (of the respiratory system) tuberculous abscess of the spine rare complication of tuberculosis (tb) that occurs when the m. tuberculosis bacteria cause pus to collect in the tissues tussis convulsiva - whooping cough typhoid fever typhus - infectious fever characterized high fever, headache, and dizziness ulcerative endocarditis umbilical cord accident uncinariasus (parasitic worm diseases) typically in the small intestine uremia uremic poisoning uterine cancer valvular heart disease variola - smallpox venesection - bleeding ventricular fibrillation viper's dance - st. vitus dance water on brain - enlarged head white swelling - tuberculosis of the bone winter fever - pneumonia womb fever - infection of the uterus. worm fit - convulsions associated with teething, worms, elevated temperature or diarrhea. Transcribed by County Coordinator, Kimberly Taylor Morgan and old diseases found on death certificates USGenWeb

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Last Edited: 11 Aug 2025

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