Daily AncestorAneurism
Aneurism is the older spelling of aneurysm, a weak spot in an artery wall that bulges like a balloon and can burst with fatal bleeding.
Webster's 1913 describes an aneurism as a soft, pulsating swelling full of blood, caused by the widening of an artery. The word comes from Greek for a widening.
Aneurisms of the aorta or of arteries in the brain were the deadliest. A burst aneurism caused bleeding that could not be stopped, so the term often marks a sudden death in an adult.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Patrick Dunn, 46, M, W, Laborer, Aneurism of aorta
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Daily Ancestor. "Aneurism." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/aneurism. Last checked 2026-10-10.