The U. S. Census bureau couldn't help with this. I checked the instructions for three census years and couldn't find anything that would fit 'lives complete'. I think 'liver complaint' sounds reasonable. There were no absolute standards of abbreviation for a lot of words then, especially considering how many census takers there were and the various levels of education. Some enumerators followed their instructions to the letter and some seemed to ignore them. Some of the instructions seem funny or prejudicial now. I found myself grinning or gasping...'How could they ask THAT?' Linda Bee Subj: explanation of term "lives complete" [Incident: 050613-000005]  Date: 6/17/2005 1:19:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: askcensus@custhelp.com Recently you requested an answer from the US Census Bureau's Question & Answer Center. Below is a summary of your request and our response. We will assume your issue has been resolved if we do not hear from you within 48 hours. Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you. To update your question from the US Census Bureau's Question & Answer Center, click here.  Subject explanation of term "lives complete"    Discussion Thread  Response (HIST - CAB) 06/17/2005 13:19 Unfortunately we have no way knowing what the enumerator was referring to. The instructions to enumerators (Measuring America) for that census year may have included the way ailments were recorded. We can also mail you this free pub if you aren't able to access it online. History Staff    Question Reference #050613-000005 Date Created:  06/13/2005 08:37 Last Updated:  06/17/2005 13:19 Status:  Pending Closure Cc: