Daily AncestorCongestion of the lungs
Congestion of the lungs was an old diagnosis for lungs overfilled with blood or fluid, close to what doctors now call pulmonary edema.
Congestion in 1800s medicine meant an organ overfull of blood, and Webster's 1913 gives congestion of the lungs as an example. Fluid in the lungs today is most often linked to a failing heart.
The IPUMS codes for the 1850 to 1880 mortality schedules group pulmonary congestion with pulmonary edema and lung collapse, separate from pneumonia.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Clara Bent, 2, F, W, Dec., Congestion of lungs, 3 days
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Congestion of the lungs." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/congestion-of-the-lungs. Last checked 2026-10-10.