German-English Illness Translations (J. Rempel)
Published by the Odessa Digital Library - 20 Apr 1997
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Copyright 1997, Judith Rempel
German Illness Translations
The following is a compiled listing of illnesses and causes of death gleaned
from three primary sources. They are posted here in the hopes that they may aid
family historians and genealogists in interpreting the conditions in which their
ancestors lived and died. My role has merely been the compiler. The credit for
the translation work should go to Ann Rempel, Dora Epp, V. Lyle von Riesen, and
Adalbert Goertz.
Reviewers who have suggested improvements: Elli Wise, Alan Peters, Adalbert
Goertz, Glenn Penner and an anonymous physician from Calgary, Alberta. Thank
you. Edited by Marty McMahon (13 Apr 1997)
This work is placed in the public domain - Judith Rempel.
Abzehrung emaciation; consumption
Altengeschwuern varicose veins
Altersschwaeche old age
& Altershalber
Ausschlag skin disease
Auszehrung weakness - often tuberculosis
Blattern pustules, perhaps smallpox or chicken pox
Blinddarmentzuendung appendicitis
Blutsturz violent hemorrhage
Blutvergiftung blood poisoning
Brauene diphtheria
Brechdurchfall bloody diarrhea - perhaps bacillary dysentery
(i.e. Shigellosis)
Bruch Schaden hernia
Brustkrankheit ?
Convulsionen convulsions
Darmgicht, Darmkolik, & intestinal afflictions - one or more could be
Darmsucht gastroenteritis caused by bacteria
Lungesucht (der taru) tuberculosis
Diphtherie, diphteritis diphtheria
Druesenkrankheit disease of the lymph glands - perhaps scrofula (an
acute form of tuberculosis)
Durchfall diarrhea
Durchfall und der Ruhr dysentery
Engbruestigkeit tightness of chest, asthma
Englischen Krankheit rickets
Entkraeftung weakness as found in old age
Enzuendungs Fieber inflammation/fever
Epilepsie epilepsy
Ertrunken drowned
Faul Fieber "rotten" fever
Flecken spots - perhaps measles or typhus
Folgen chirurgieschen operation result of a surgical operation
Fraisen ?
Freasal und Fleck Fieber fever and spotted fever
Friesel Pustules - could be chicken pox
Fruehgeburt premature birth
Gallkrankheit ?
Gallen Fieber infected gall bladder - perhaps bilious fever or hepatitis
Gedaermbrand, Gedaermfrasz intestinal gangrene (ulcerative colitis)
Gelbsuch jaundice
Geschwulst tumor
Gicht gout
Gichter convulsive fits
Goldene Ader hemorrhoids
Halsbrauene quinsy, suppurative tonsillitis - perhaps strep throat
Halsenzuendung tonsillitis
Harnruhr diabetes insipidus
Herz-Brustwassersucht mit pleurisy, emphysema
hinzutrender Lungenlaehmung
Herzerweiterung, Leber- enlarged heart and hardening of the liver and stomach
Magenverhaertung
Herzkrankheit heart disease
Hitziges Fieber typhoid fever
Husten cough
Kaltenbrande frostbite
Kaltenerkaeltung influenza
Keuchhusten whooping cough
Kindbette (in dem) post partum illness
Knochenbruechen broken bones
Knochenfaeule osteomyelitis
Kolik colic
Kraempfen cramps
Krankheiten und Urin... illness of urine-producing organs
Krebs cancer
Lebensschwaeche frailty of life
Leibverstopfung blockage of the belly (constipation)
Luftroehrenschwindzucht bronchial (galloping) consumption - probably
bronchial pneumonia
Lungenentzuendung pneumonia
Lungenlaemung disability of the lungs
Lungentuberkulose pulmonary tuberculosis
Magenkrebs stomach cancer
Magenoperation stomach operation
Magenverhaertung perhaps hardening of the stomach
Masern measles
Masern und Roetheln measles and German measles
Melancholie und Wahnsin depression and madness
Nerven Fieber typhus
Nichtbestimte Krankheit unknown illness
Niederkunft (bei der) maternity confinement
Nierenkrebs kidney cancer
Organ. Herzfehler organic heart failure
Petechien typhoid
Pocken smallpox
Potatschen spotted fever, spotted typhoid
Scharlach, Scharlach Fieber, scarlet fever
& Schlarachriesel
Schlag, Schlaganfall stroke
Schlagflusz apoplectic fit, stroke
Schleichendem Fieber consumption, tuberculosis
Schwemmen external growth (spongy growth)
Schwindsucht acute tuberculosis
Selbstmoerder suicide
Soropkeln (?) Verstopfung blockage of intestines, tuberculosis of glands
der Gekroesdruesen
Steckflusz asthma, emphysema
Steinbeschwerde kidney stones
Stickhusten whooping cough
Tod durch Unschlingung der stillbirth due to strangulation by umbilical cord
Nabelschnur um den Hals-
Erstichung
Ungluecksfaellen mancher Art accidents of any kind
Unterleibsentzuendung peritonitis due to intestinal bacteria released into the
abdominal cavity
Unzeitig ad. Todtgeborene; in stillborn, or premature childbirth
den Wochen
Venerischen Krankheit venereal disease, syphilis
Verunglueckt accidental death
Wasserkopfe hydrocephalous
Wassersucht dropsy, congestive heart failure, edema
Weszerschen ?
Windgeschwulst chicken pox
Wuermern worms
Zaehnen teeth
Sources:
(1) The Kirchenbuch prepared by Dirck Tiessen (1782) in Petershagen,
Prussia. This is how the list started, from a single page entitled
"Hauptkrankeiten" (main illnesses). It was translated by Ann Rempel
and Dora Epp in 1996. They humbly requested that I qualify their work
as follows. "Not all terms are translated or perhaps correctly
translated. But, but the result is the best of our ability." For both
Ann and Dora, German is their first language, but have lived in Canada
and used English for 40+ years.
(2) A monograph by Richard Ringenberg (1942), Familienbuch der
mennoniten Gemeinde Eichstock. Schriften des Bayerischen Landesvereins
fuer Familienkunde e. V., Heft 18. Verlag Michael Laszleben, Kallmuenz
uebert Regensburg. The causes of death found in this monograph were
extensively reviewed by V. Lyle von Riesen who holds a PhD and has
taught in medical schools in the United States for 35 years. His
published article is entitled "Causes of Deaths in the Eichstock
[Baveria] Mennonite congregation" and can be found in Mennonite Family
History, XV, 4, p. 151-155.
(3) Another article published in Mennonite Family History, prepared by
Adalbert Goertz. It appeared in the April 1991 issue as "Diseases in
Prussian Church Records".