Daily AncestorScrofula
Scrofula, also called the king's evil, was swelling of the lymph glands in the neck, usually a form of tuberculosis.
Scrofula described swollen, often draining lumps in the glands of the neck. Most cases were tuberculosis that had settled in the lymph nodes rather than the lungs.
Its old English name, the king's evil, came from the belief that a king's touch could cure it. A person listed with scrofula may have died of tuberculosis spreading elsewhere in the body.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Jane Merritt, 14, F, W, Single, Ohio, June, Scrofula, 365 days
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Scrofula." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/scrofula. Last checked 2026-10-01.