Daily AncestorQuinsy
Quinsy is the old name for a pus-filled abscess beside the tonsil, a severe complication of tonsillitis that could block swallowing and breathing.
Quinsy, also spelled quinsey or quinzy, was a severe throat infection in which pus collected behind or beside a tonsil. The swelling made swallowing painful and could make breathing hard.
Today the condition is called a peritonsillar abscess. The name came into English through Old French and medieval Latin from a Greek word meaning dog-throttling, and older writers also used squinancy or squinzy.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Rebecca Shaw, 34, F, W, Married, Penn., February, Quinsy, 6 days
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Daily Ancestor. "Quinsy." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/quinsy. Last checked 2026-10-01.