Daily AncestorSunstroke
Sunstroke means heat stroke from exposure to the sun or very hot air, which could kill laborers and soldiers in summer heat waves.
Sunstroke is heat stroke brought on by working or marching in strong sun or heat. The body overheats, leading to collapse, confusion and death if not cooled.
Older writers also called it insolation or heat stroke. Expect such deaths in the hottest weeks of summer.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Patrick Burke, 40, M, W, Married, Ireland, July, Sunstroke, 1 day
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Sunstroke." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/sunstroke. Last checked 2026-10-01.