Daily AncestorCirrhosis of the liver
Cirrhosis of the liver meant a liver turned hard, shrunken and scarred; heavy drinking was a common cause, but not the only one.
The name comes from Greek kirrhos, yellowish or tawny, for the color of the diseased liver; Rene Laennec gave it in 1819. Webster's 1913 says the liver usually becomes smaller, denser and more fibrous.
Wikipedia lists alcohol-related liver disease among its most common causes. The 1911 Census Bureau manual gave cirrhosis of the liver its own title.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Patk. Gilsenvey, 49, M, W, Teamster, Sept., Cirrhosis of liver
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Cirrhosis of the liver." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/cirrhosis-of-the-liver. Last checked 2026-10-12.