Daily AncestorGangrene of the lungs
Gangrene of the lungs meant death and decay of part of the lung tissue, a deadly lung disease with its own place in old cause-of-death lists.
Webster's 1913 defines gangrene as mortification of the soft tissues in any stage. In the lung it means part of the lung tissue has died and is breaking down.
IPUMS gives gangrene of lungs its own code, between pulmonary congestion and asthma, and the 1911 Census Bureau manual keeps gangrene of the lung as a separate title among diseases of the respiratory system.
As seen in a recordCause of death line, state death certificate, 1910s to 1930s
Cause: Gangrene of lung. Contributory: Lobar pneumonia.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Gangrene of the lungs." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/gangrene-of-the-lungs. Last checked 2026-10-12.