Daily AncestorGerman measles
German measles is rubella, a mild rash illness first described by German doctors in 1814, which old records sometimes confused with true measles.
The name rubella is Latin for little red. Webster's 1913 describes a dusky red rash like measles but without the cold symptoms. German doctors first described it as a separate disease in 1814, which gave the common name.
Deaths from German measles were rare. IPUMS groups it with chicken pox and mumps, separate from measles proper, in its codes for the 1850 to 1880 mortality schedules.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Karl Hessel, 6, M, W, Feb., German measles
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "German measles." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/german-measles. Last checked 2026-10-10.