Historical Causes of Death

Death certificates or registers can have information about the cause of death. For records before the mid-20th century, some terms used then are no longer familiar today. There are several websites that give definitions and interpretations to diseases and medical conditions found in these records.

Online Resources

 * Glossary of Medical Terms used in the 18th and 19th Centuries
 * Old Medical Terms at Fenton Historical Society
 * Old Disease Names Frequently found on Death Certificates at USGenNet.org

International Classification of Diseases

 * History of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) - code used to indicate cause of death on United States and other countries death certificates. The ICD was first published in 1893.
 * International Classification of Diseases at Wolfbane.com - links to all versions of the International Classification of Diseases code; use the version that corresponds with the year the death was recorded.
 * additional article about International Classification of Diseases

Coroner's Records
A coroner is a government or public official who is in charge of investigating any deaths by inquest that occur under unusual circumstances or appear to be from unnatural causes. If the coroner has questions about the death, they can order an autopsy to be performed and hold an inquest if the autopsy reveals inconsistencies to a natural death.

Coroner's reports can include information about the deceased and their circumstances of their death including cause of death.

How to Find the Records
Some coroner's records have been digitized and are online. Below is a list by locality of known coroner's records.

If records are not available online for the location you need, you must contact the government entity in charge of inquests to see if records exist. You may also want to check city, county, state, or country archives.

Other Wiki Articles

 * England Diseases and Cause of Death