Daily AncestorFlux
Flux is an old word for diarrhea or dysentery, any heavy discharge from the bowels; bloody flux meant dysentery with blood.
Flux comes from a word meaning flowing. In medical use it meant a heavy discharge from the body, and on death records almost always diarrhea or dysentery.
Qualifiers narrow it down: bloody flux meant dysentery with blood, while flux alone could be any severe diarrhea. Read the whole phrase, since the qualifier carries the meaning.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Saml. Pruett, 4, M, W, Ga., August, Flux, 9 days
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Flux." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/flux. Last checked 2026-10-01.