The Historical Register for 1720

containing an impartial relation of
all tranSactionS, foreign and domeFtic, with a Chronological Diary of all
the Remarkable OccurrenceS, viz. BirthS, MarriageS, DeathS, Removals,
Promotions &c. that happened in this year, Volume V for the year 1720, published at the
expence (sic) of the Sun Fire Office

This list came from the above book, which provides a fascinating insight to causes of death in 1720. What, for instance, can St Anthony's Fire be? Tissick? Horse-shoe Head? Planet struck? The figures in brackets refer to the explanations for some of these terms. Thanks to the many people who provided the explanations and links to medical sites for further reading.

The General Bill of all the Christenings and Burials with the ...... and
Casualties from Dec 15 1719 to Dec 13 1720.

Christen'd                                                    Bury'd
Males 8877                                                   Males 12713
Females 8602                                                             Females 12741
              In all 17479

                  Decreased in the Burials this year 2893

	Causes of Death
Abortive 132 Aged 2317 Ague 15 Apoplexy 82 *(17)* Asthma 86 Bedridden 3 Bleeding 4 Bloody Flux 11 (4) Bursten 6 *(18)* Cancer 64 Canker 20 Childbed 260 Chin-cough 10 *(3)* Chrisoms 56 *(19)* Cholick 98 Consumption 3054 Convulsion 6787 Diabetes 5 Dropsy 1021 Evil 24 Fever 3910 Fistula 12 *(5)* Flux 11 French Pox 108 *(25)* Gangrene 5 Gout 30	Gravel 5 *(10)* Grief 12 Griping in the guts 731 Head Mould shot 66 Hooping cough 33 Horse shoe head 46 (15) Jaundice 107 Imposthume 47 (20) Infants 14 Inflammation 6 Lethargy 6 Liver-grown 1 (21) Looseness 45 Lunatick 44 Measles 213 Mortification 184 *(11)* Pain in the head 3 Pain in the stomach 1 Planet struck 1 *(16)* Palsy 40 Plurisy 32 Purples 16 (12) Quinsy 7 (22) Rash 10 Rheumatism 22 Rickets 84	Rising of the lights 22 *(7)* Rupture 20 St Anthony's Fire 8 (1) Scald head 2 *(6)* Scarlet fever 3 Scurvey 1 Small pox 1440 Sores and ulcers 32 Spleen 6 Spotted fever 66 *(13)* Still-born 562 Stone 59 *(23)* Stop in stomach 125 Strangury 10 *(24)* Suddenly 119 Surfeit 8 *(14)* Teeth 1817 Thrusa 80 Tissick 455 (2) Twisting of the Guts77 Tympany 9 *(8)* Vomiting 21 Water in the Head 110 White swelling 1 *(9)* Worms 75
	Casualties
Broken leg 2 Bruised 3 Burnt 3 Drown'd 66 Excessive drinking 18 Executed 20	Found dead 21 Frighted 1 Kill'd accidently 47 Kill'd by falls 13 Kill'd with a sword 3 Murder'd 4	Overlaid 69 Scalded 1 Shot 1 Smother'd 4 Stabb'd 1 Suffocated 3

(1) St Anthony's Fire is an old term for ergotism or ergot poisoning leading to gangrene (eg from eating bread made with rye on which a certain fungus is growing) although it was also more commonly used for erysipelas, an infection of the face caused by streptococcal bacteria. Ergot (Claviceps purpea) is a fungus that affects rye and sometimes other grains. Ergot contains lysergic acid, the active principle of the psychedelic drug LSD. In Medieval timesoutbreaks of St. Anthony's Fire were common in countries where populations subsisted on rye bread. St. Anthony's Fire is a toxic condition whose symptoms include hallucinations, disorientation, muscle cramps, convulsions, miscarriages, and gangrene and may result in death. It affects both humans and animals. Some beneficial drugs are also provided by ergot, used to treat migraines, to induce labour and to control uterine bleeding.

(5) Fistula - a narrow passage or duct formed by disease or injury, as one leading from an abcess to a free surface, or from one cavity to another.

(6) Scald head - Seborrhoeic eczema of the scalp. (Can you die of this???)

(7) Rising of the lights - Lights is an old term for the lungs, so this means choking or breathlessness..

(8) Tympany - There are three terms that are similar to this one, and they are all to do with the ear. A tumour.

(10) Gravel - Passage of small stones formed in the kidneys with the urine.

(12) Purples - Purpura, this is a rash due to spontaneous bleeding in to the skin.

(16) Planet-struck seems to be a "sudden and apparently causeless stroke of disease" for example, epilepsy, paralysis or lunacy.

(25) French Pox - I think we all know what this is. I believe the French used to call it the English Pox!