Daily AncestorAsphyxia
Asphyxia meant death from lack of air, as in suffocation, drowning, choking or breathing smoke or mine gas.
Webster's 1913 defines asphyxia as the state that follows when breathing stops, as in suffocation, drowning or breathing gases that cannot support life. The Greek word originally meant a stopping of the pulse.
Records often add the cause, as in asphyxia by smoke, by drowning or by gas.
As seen in a recordCause of death line, state death certificate, 1910s to 1930s
Infant son of Jos. Kral, 1 day, Asphyxia
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Asphyxia." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/asphyxia. Last checked 2026-10-10.