Daily AncestorSchwindsucht
Schwindsucht is an old German word for consumption, usually tuberculosis of the lungs; Lungenschwindsucht names the lung form directly.
Schwindsucht comes from schwinden, to waste away, and describes the slow wasting of the sick person, just like the English consumption. In most death registers it means pulmonary tuberculosis, though before the germ was known the label could cover other wasting illnesses.
Auszehrung, wasting, is a close cousin of the word and was used in a similar way. The longer form Lungenschwindsucht leaves no doubt that the lungs were affected.
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Daily Ancestor. "Schwindsucht." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/german/schwindsucht. Last checked 2026-10-28.