German-English Illness Translations (J. Rempel) Published by the Odessa Digital Library - 20 Apr 1997 http://www.odessa3.org This document may be freely used for personal, nonprofit purposes or linked by other WWW sites. It may also be shared with others, provided the header with copyright notice is included. However, it may not be republished in any form without permission of the copyright owner. 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".