A lot of medical terms were different in those days so it’s not surprising that doctors won’t be able to answer your question with certainty.
The cause of death was probably the attending physician’s best educated guess, and was unlikely to be questioned by anyone.
I have no medical knowledge whatsoever but I would favour that this might relate to his throat, as that might be easier to diagnose than a bowel issue.
I wonder if his address at death and the qualifications of the physician might shed more light on his death?
