Causes of Death, Then and Now

Celebrating its 200th anniversary, the New England Journal of Medicine takes a look back, comparing causes of death in 1811, 1900, and 2010.

We have more heart disease and cancer, and seem to less frequently expire due to spontaneous combustion or the impact of a cannon ball. Fears of racial suicide and belief in the progress of eugenics are not what they were in 1912.

Hat tip to Sarah Kliff.