Daily AncestorThrush
Thrush is a yeast infection of the mouth that leaves creamy white patches; on old records it usually appears for weak or sick babies.
Thrush is caused by Candida yeast, which most people carry harmlessly. It takes hold when a baby or adult is already weak, and a sore mouth could make feeding difficult.
Old records also used aphthae for mouth sores of this kind. A death from thrush usually means the baby was already very ill from something else.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Infant of Jas. Hall, 5 wks., Thrush
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Daily Ancestor. "Thrush." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/thrush. Last checked 2026-10-01.