Table 1.

Principal categories of non-plague causes of death in Milanese Necrologi, 1452–1522 n = 81,686 (with diagnosis)

General cause of death	Percentage among all deaths with cause given
Fevers	35.7%
Respiratory symptoms	14.6%
Gastro-intestinal symptoms	10%
Rashes, ulcers, fistulas, abscesses	6.9%
Dropsy	4.6%
Pestilential fever (not plague)	3.2%
Trauma	2.8%
Obstetrical and gynaecological	2.1%
Senility and other old age	1.8%