Daily AncestorGoiter
Goiter, or goitre, was a swelling at the front of the neck from an enlarged thyroid gland, most often caused by too little iodine in the diet.
The term comes from Latin for throat. Worldwide, most goiters come from iodine deficiency, which iodized salt prevents. In the United States goiter was common in the Appalachian, Great Lakes, Midwest and Intermountain regions.
Most goiters were not cancerous. IPUMS gives diseases of the thyroid and Graves' disease their own codes in its scheme for the 1850 to 1880 mortality schedules.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Martha Sipe, 52, F, W, Goiter
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Goiter." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/goiter. Last checked 2026-10-10.