Historical cause of death 1600s-1900s
What did dropsy mean on a death certificate?
On a death record, dropsy meant swelling from fluid gathering in the limbs or belly, the visible end of a failing heart or kidneys. In modern terms it usually pointed to edema from congestive heart failure or kidney disease. Dropsy names the symptom, not the disease behind it. Dropsy of the brain, a separate use, meant hydrocephalus in a child. Expect it on records mostly 1600s-1900s.
Also written on records as: anasarca, ascites, water on the chest.
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Related terms
Browse the full genealogy records glossary for more occupations, causes of death, and legal terms.
FAQs
What is dropsy called today?+
Edema from congestive heart failure or kidney disease, broadly speaking. Doctors of the period diagnosed without laboratory tests, so one label often covered several conditions we would now separate. This page explains historical record language and is not medical advice.
How was dropsy written on death records?+
Clerks and doctors also wrote anasarca, ascites, and water on the chest. Spelling wandered from register to register, so check every variant before you decide a record is missing or wrong.
Where do these definitions come from?+
They are drawn from period dictionaries, government archive glossaries, and standard genealogy references, cross-checked against each other; provenance is documented with the dataset. Inside AncestorIQ, Deep Research reads the record itself and explains terms like this in context, against your ancestor's own document.
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