A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death
certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily
attributed to an illness or an internal malfunction of the body
not directly influenced by external forces. For example, a
person dying from complications from influenza (an infection) or
a heart attack (an internal body malfunction) would be listed as
having died of natural causes. Old age is not a scientifically
recognized cause of death; there is always a more direct cause
although it may be unknown in certain cases and could be one of
a number of aging-associated diseases. In contrast, death caused
by active intervention is called unnatural death. The
"unnatural" causes are usually given as accident (implying no
unreasonable voluntary risk), misadventure (accident following a
willful and dangerous risk), suicide, or homicide. In some
settings, other categories may be added. For example, a prison
may track the deaths of inmates caused by acute intoxication
separately. Additionally