Daily AncestorCatarrh
Catarrh means inflammation of the nose, throat or airways with heavy mucus; in old records it covered colds, bronchitis and sometimes influenza.
Catarrh is inflammation of a mucous membrane, usually of the nose, throat or airways, with heavy discharge. It is an old term that was used loosely.
In older writing it can mean a common cold, sinus trouble or bronchitis, and epidemic catarrh was an old name for influenza. As a cause of death it often points to a chest infection in a child or elderly person.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Infant son of H. Lane, 4 mos., M, W, Iowa, January, Catarrh, 10 days
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Daily Ancestor. "Catarrh." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/catarrh. Last checked 2026-10-01.