What did congestion of the brain mean on an 1880 death certificate?

[WhenTheDustSettles]

I just received a death certificate for a 45 year old coal miner who died in 1880 of congestion of lungs (which I can understand) and congestion of the brain (which I can't). Any thoughts on what this might be?

Fluid in the brain? If there wasn’t a post mortem some of the reasons are quite out there.

A stroke?

A Google search comes up with a random selection of stroke, hypertension, encephalitis, blood clot on the brain. I'm guessing in those days it wasn't always easy to ascertain the cause.

Not easy to determine cause of death and no PM unless the death was suspicious.

Could it be dementia?

Dementia is more likely to be described as softening of the brain, rather than congestion.

Congestion of the lungs could be lung cancer and the congestion of the brain could be secondary tumours in the brain

Meningitis? or as suggested Encephalitis - both would show some swelling in the brain if they did an autopsy and meningitis can have a layer of pus.

Never thought of that. It is a possibility. I doubt dementia, the guy was 45.