Due to a law that went into effect in the fall of 1877 requiring births and deaths to be recorded, for the first time, we are given a glimpse of exactly what kind of things killed people back in that time frame. The following data was extracted from figures released by the Egyptian Press on January 9, 1879.
For definition, I have added translations in parenthesis for some of the older, lesser known terms.
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352 males and 297 females were born from 7 Dec 1877 to 7 Dec 1878 in Williamson County. There was one case of triplets and 11 cases of twins.
There were 204 deaths. The following are the causes and number:
- heart disease -1
- typhoid fever – 15
- erysipelas (Contagious skin disease) -2
- remittent fever (Malaria) – 4
- whooping cough – 4
- childbed fever (Infection following birth of a child) – 3
- pneumonia – 32
- croup (Laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat) – 8
- consumption (Tuberculosis) – 12
- injury – 5
- stillborn – 13
- unknown – 9
- Disease of kidneys – 3
- debility (Lack of movement or staying in bed) – 2
- opium poisoning – 1
- congestive fever (Malaria) – 8
- tonsillitis – 1
- cancer – 1
- inflammation of ear – 1
- scarlet fever – 1
- congestive chill (Malaria with diarrhea) – 2
- meningitis – 17
- inflammation of bowels
- dropsy (Edema, old term for swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of water) – 2
- lockjaw – 1
- dysentery – 2
- convulsions – 8
- paralysis – 3
- heart clot – 1
- bilious colic (gallstones interfering with normal flow of bile) – 2
- hemorrhage of lungs – 3
- ulceration – 2
- apoplexy (bleeding into an organ or loss of blood flow to an organ) – 2
- rheumatism – 2
- diphtheria – 2
- rupture – 1
- Softening of brain (due to hemorrhage or inflammation) – 1
- cholera infantum (infant gastroenteritis) – 1
- suicide – 2
- pyemia (a type of septicemia) – 2
- bronchitis – 3
- scrofula (tuberculosis of lymph nodes) – 2
- hydrocephalus (water on the brain) – 4
(Extracted from the Egyptian Press, January 9, 1879)