Daily AncestorAsiatic cholera
Asiatic cholera was the 1800s name for true epidemic cholera, a waterborne disease causing massive diarrhea that came in great waves through the century.
Asiatic cholera, often written simply cholera in epidemic years, was the deadly disease now known to spread through contaminated water. It caused sudden, massive diarrhea and could kill within hours.
The adjective separated it from cholera morbus and cholera infantum, which were ordinary stomach illnesses. A cluster of cholera deaths in one place during an epidemic year is strong evidence of the real disease.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Patrick Dunn, 35, M, W, Married, Ireland, July, Cholera, 1 day
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Daily Ancestor. "Asiatic cholera." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/asiatic-cholera. Last checked 2026-10-01.