NAVAJO COUNTY

Common Diseases

It is often difficult to read, let alone interpret, the cause of death as listed on old death certificates so we are providing an abbreviated list (below) of common diseases that are found on old death records, along with a description. More medical terms used in the 18th and 19th centuries are listed HERE. You may notice a number written on old death certificates which correlates to the cause of death. A most helpful link listing International Classification of Diseases can be found HERE. For more information on historical causes of death, check the FamilySearch Wikipage.

 

Disease Name - Symptoms/description

Apoplexy - Paralysis due to stroke

Brain Fever - Meningitis

Bright's Disease - Chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys

Child bed fever - Infection following birth of a child

Cholera - Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing

Cholera morbus - Characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc. Could be appendicitis.

Congestive chills/ fever - Malaria

Consumption - Tuberculosis

Decrepitude - Feebleness due to old age

Dropsy - Edema (swelling), often caused by kidney or heart disease

Dropsy of the Brain - Encephalitis

Dysentery - Inflammation of colon with frequent passage of mucous and blood

Encephalitis - Swelling of brain; aka sleeping sickness

Falling sickness - Epilepsy

Flux - An excessive flow or discharge of fluid like hemorrhage or diarrhea

Grippe/grip - Influenza like symptoms

Jaundice - Condition caused by blockage of intestines

Lagrippe - Influenza

Lockjaw - Tetanus or infectious disease affecting the muscles of the neck and jaw. Untreated, it is fatal in 8 days

Lung fever - Pneumonia

Lung sickness - Tuberculosis

Meningitis - Inflation of brain or spinal cord

Nephrosis - Kidney degeneration

Nepritis - Inflammation of kidneys

Quinsy - Abscess behind tonsils

Small pox - Contagious disease with fever and blisters

Summer complaint - Diarrhea, usually in infants caused by spoiled milk

Tetanus - Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache and dizziness

Trench mouth - apathos ulcers or a virus disease

Thrush - Childhood disease characterized by spots on mouth, lips and throat

Tuberculosis - Bacterial infection that primarily attacks the lungs, but which may also affect the kidneys, bones, lymph nodes, and brain. Symptoms of TB include coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, chills, and fatigue.

Typhus - Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache, and dizziness

Winter fever - Pneumonia

 

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