Daily AncestorFrench pox
French pox was an old slang name for syphilis; later records may write lues, syphilis or simply the pox.
Wiktionary marks French pox as an archaic slang name for syphilis. Webster's 1913 traces the word syphilis to a Latin poem of 1530 whose title also called the disease Morbus Gallicus, the French disease.
Late, or tertiary, syphilis can bring heart and nerve problems years after infection, so the record may name the late result instead, such as general paralysis of the insane.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Jno. Riggs, 41, M, W, Sailor, French pox
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Daily Ancestor. "French pox." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/french-pox. Last checked 2026-10-10.