Daily AncestorTumor
Tumor on an old record meant a swelling or growth on any part of the body; it could be harmless or cancerous, so the word alone does not say which.
Webster's 1913 defines a tumor as a morbid swelling or growth on any part of the body. The word comes from Latin tumere, to swell.
The 1911 Census Bureau manual told doctors never to write tumor without malignant, nonmalignant or benign, and to name the organ. IPUMS gives tumors and cysts their own code, apart from the cancer 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
Rachel Dunsmore, 47, F, W, June, Tumor, 2 yrs.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Tumor." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/tumor. Last checked 2026-10-12.