What did our ancestors know about the cause of death back in the 19th century and before that? When there were no vaccines, when a C-section was only done to try and save the baby since the mother had already died in childbirth, and when average people rarely lived as long as we are expected to? It seems that the more populated the place, and the more likely an educated doctor, the more details or understanding there might have been.
I've been working with death records for some time and many have no connotations at all, rather the concern seems to be that last rites of the Catholic church were administered to the dying, and that a grave was provided. When we look at records we may see Latin being used, though sometimes other notes are in Hungarian.
Latin was the universal language of the Roman Catholic church.
SOME CAUSES OF DEATH IN RECORDS FROM 19th and 18th century Death = Halal
Naturalis : a natural death. In other words not an accident. Can cover anything other than an accident but especially old age or being debilitated. Also Ordinaris - an ordinary death, nothing unexpected. (So far I have found only one record, for a twelve year old boy, in which is was written tragikus baleset (in Hungarian, Tragic Accident.)
Note that handwritten F's may be used in some cases instead of S.
Tusis : (Tufis) cough (Whatever ailed this person they were coughing a lot. Can be a childhood illness or can be TB.)
Phthisis : pulmonary - TB or another progressive and systemic illness
Hydrops (Hidrop) : fluid in the tissues or edema (visible, this can indicate any end-stage of life including cancer.)
How much was understood about cancer is unknown to me. We now know there are very many cancers and generally the place they originated in the body is what they are called, i.e. "colon cancer" though it may have spread.
Aquio suffo - Aquio suffocatus : means suffocate with water (drowned) however, some illness the person's lungs or heart filled with fluid.
Dipenteria / Dipenterium : Prison (Person died while in prison.)
Morbo grasante : morbid fat or fattening disease
Dolorum : Pain Which might be followed by where the pain was such as Stomachi (Stomach), Internum (Internal), Guter (gut)... Our ancestors did not have much for pain control and death was often painful... Fajdalom = Hungarian
Ulceribus : an ulcer or wound that would not heal, which could be due to an infection. Fekely =Hungarian (A Note that this notation might also indicate the person had diabetes.)
Tumores : tumors. These would probably have had to be visible or perhaps operated upon.
Febris : fever laz=Hungarian
Senex : Old Person (senile?)
Plagues (Wash your hands!) Pestis = Hungarian
Epidemia - Epidemic
Any illness that was the cause of many people to die was called plague, so Covid-19 would be considered a Plague. Though we understand what caused some of these today, such as unsanitary conditions, bad water, fleas, some forms of plague are still not understood.
Typhus - (According to the CDC of the United States) Typhus fevers are a group of diseases caused by bacteria that are spread to humans by fleas, lice, and chiggers. Typhus fevers include murine typhus, epidemic typhus, and scrub typhus. Fleas spread murine typhus, body lice spread epidemic typhus, and chiggars spread scrub typhus.
Cholera - (According to the CDC of the United States) Cholera is a bacterial disease spread through contaminated water and food. Cholera can cause severe diarrhea, dehydration, and even death if the disease goes untreated. People living in places with unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene are at highest risk of cholera. (kolera = Hungarian)
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Provisus - provisions made for burial. Often the name of the priest who performed Last Rites is given.
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