Disease Names and Causes of Death

WSeelentag

Disease names, often given as causes of death, in old documents are often not easy to interpret or at least not familiar today. Whilst transliterating / translating old records here, I have occasionally also explained such expressions - see e.g.

Brüni / Mundfäule on https://community.familysearch.org/de/discussion/comment/457650/#Comment_457650.

There are others - but difficult to find ☹. To make this more efficient, I am planning to post such explanations in this discussion on "Disease Names and Causes of Death" - and then just link to them.

All community members are welcome to post explanations here as well - or ask about expressions in need of an explanation.

WSeelentag

Auszehrung (or Abzehrung) is frequently found in death records as cause of death (example see https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/120742/need-help-translating). It can be translated as emaciation, the more medical terms would be consumption or cachexia. It is more a description of symptoms, rather than a specific disease - could stand for tuberculosis, diabetes, cancer, … diseases not yet described a few centuries ago.

The term is derived from the verb zehren = gnaw. Therefore occasionally (I have seen it in German records only so far) just Zehrung is given as cause of death (examples: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS8Y-LFNF?cat=99374). The dictionary may offer provision (in the sense, what you take with you when going for a walk) as translation - which obviously doesn't make sense in the context.

Also in Germany only so far I have seen Abnahme (https://community.familysearch.org/de/discussion/128508/request-help-to-transcribe-this-record-to-find-out-if-this-could-this-be-my-ancestor) or even Abnahme-Krankheit (https://www.wgff-tz.de/details.php?id=549592).

WSeelentag

d(en) 11.t(en) Dito [Hornung 1751] Starbe am Seitenstich des Niclaus Trachsels von Jaberg, sel(ig) Witwe, geborne Baumgart(in): beÿ 60. jahr alt.

Sitenstich / Seitenstich / Seitenstechen in todays usage describes a 'stabbing' abdominal pain, especially on the side, in the back, for example when running fast.

Schweizerisches Idiotikon (https://digital.idiotikon.ch/idtkn/id10.htm#!page/101305/mode/1up) mentions other diagnoses with somewhat similar symptoms: rheumatisms, gout, in the older language (before 1800) especially pleurisy. Another possibility may well be appendicitis.

So the above entry could be translated as On February 11, 1751, died from pleurisy (or appendicitis) the widow of the late Niclaus Trachsel from Jaberg, maiden name Baumgart(in), about 60 years of age. Unfortunately her given name is not mentioned.

In case you want to read more about this entry, e.g. finding her given name: https://www.geneal-forum.com/phpbb/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=32165#p119713. Reading is free - to be able to view attachments, you have to be logged in, however - see https://www.geneal-forum.com/phpbb/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=31427 … registration is free and without obligation.

The forum is multilingual. If you need help with a translation, I recommend https://www.deepl.com/translator.