Daily AncestorChicken pox
Chicken pox is varicella, a common childhood rash illness with itchy blisters; it rarely killed, and before the late 1800s it was often confused with smallpox.
Chickenpox was not clearly separated from smallpox until the late 1800s, so a chicken pox entry may hide a mild smallpox case, and the reverse.
Deaths from chicken pox were rare. The IPUMS codes for the 1850 to 1880 mortality schedules put chicken pox, mumps and German measles in one group.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Willie Bauer, 3, M, W, Apr., Chicken pox
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Chicken pox." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/chicken-pox. Last checked 2026-10-10.