Daily AncestorMitral regurgitation
Mitral regurgitation meant a leaking mitral valve, the valve between the left chambers of the heart, so blood flowed backward with each beat.
Webster's 1913 says mitral means resembling a miter, as in the mitral valve between the left auricle and left ventricle of the heart. Wikipedia explains that in mitral regurgitation, also called mitral insufficiency, the valve does not close properly and blood leaks backward.
The 1911 Census Bureau manual held up mitral regurgitation as the kind of exact wording doctors should use instead of heart disease or heart trouble.
As seen in a recordCause of death line, state death certificate, 1910s to 1930s
Cause: Mitral regurgitation. Contributory: Nephritis.
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Mitral regurgitation." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/mitral-regurgitation. Last checked 2026-10-12.