Historical cause of death 1600s-1900s
What did erysipelas mean on a death certificate?
On a death record, erysipelas meant a spreading fiery-red inflammation of the skin, burning outward from a wound or from the face. In modern terms it usually pointed to a streptococcal skin infection. The rose is the folk name in Scottish and northern records. Before antisepsis it killed through hospitals and lying-in wards. Expect it on records mostly 1600s-1900s.
Also written on records as: St Anthony's fire, the rose.
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Related terms
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FAQs
What is erysipelas called today?+
A streptococcal skin infection, 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 erysipelas written on death records?+
Clerks and doctors also wrote St Anthony's fire and the rose. 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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