Cause of Death Decoder
Just as we in the field of genealogy have a friend in Steve Morse and the “One-Step” pages that facilitate effective searches of passenger lists, censuses, vital records, and more, so the scientific, technical, and medical research community have a friend in Wolfbane Cybernetic, a Scotland-based tech firm providing “modern solutions to modern problems.” One of their solutions solves a recurring genealogical problem: understanding the numeric diagnosis codes written in the cause of death sections of death certificates.
Maybe the digital image isn’t quite clear enough to read the words. Maybe the hard copy is damaged. Maybe the doctor’s handwriting is essentially illegible. Maybe the word “flux” is recognizable, but you have no idea what that might mean or refer to. The (usually) more readable numerical code can help.
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About Author
Aaron Goodwin
Aaron is a genealogist and house historian specializing in New York City research across all time periods, from the Dutch colonial era to the 20th century. His book, New York City Municipal Archives: An Authorized Guide for Family Historians, won the National Genealogical Society’s 2017 Award for Excellence: Genealogical Methods and Sources. He is also editor of NGS Monthly, former contributing editor of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and former editor of the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. In 2011, he received the American Society of Genealogists’ Scholar Award.