Daily AncestorDelirium tremens
Delirium tremens was the sudden, severe confusion, shaking and hallucinations that could follow when a heavy drinker stopped drinking, sometimes ending in death.
The Latin name means shaking delirium. It usually starts two or three days after the last drink and can bring sweating, racing heart, terror and visions. Without treatment it could be fatal.
Older records also used mania a potu, madness from drink, for similar cases. Both entries tell you the person was a heavy drinker.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Jno. Flynn, 41, M, W, Jan., Delirium tremens
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Daily Ancestor. "Delirium tremens." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/delirium-tremens. Last checked 2026-10-01.