Here are the top causes of death in Boston 120 years ago
Heart disease was a problem then, too.
The Boston City Archives shared a chart on Friday that shows the top 25 causes of death in Boston back in 1896, according to an 1897 Health Department annual report.
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Here’s the full list:
1. Pneumonia 2. Consumption (tuberculosis) 3. Heart disease 4. Violent deaths 5. Cholera infantum (infant cholera) 6. Diphtheria 7. Apoplexy (stroke) 8. Cancer 9. Bronchitis 10. Meningitis 11. Marasmus (malnourishment) 12. Nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) 13. Old age 14. Premature birth 15. Hydrocephalus 16. Typhoid fever 17. Scarlet fever 18. Bright’s disease 19. Inanition (starvation) 20. Alcoholism 21. Whooping cough 22. Diarrhea 23. Croup (upper airway infection) 24. Septicaemia (sepsis) 25. Syphilis
For comparison, the leading causes of death today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are:
1. Heart disease 2. Cancer 3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases 4. Accidents (unintentional injuries) 5. Stroke 6. Alzheimer’s disease 7. Diabetes 8. Influzena and pneumonia 9. Nephritis/nephrotic syndrome/nephrosis (inflammation of the kidneys) 10. Suicide
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