Dropsy: An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. In years gone by, a person might have been said to have dropsy. Today one would be more descriptive and specify the cause. Thus, the person might have edema due to congestive heart failure.

What was dropsy illness?

Background: Dropsy was a term used to describe generalized swelling and was synonymous with heart failure. Its treatment options were scanty and were aimed to cause "emptying of the system" or to relieve fluid retention.

What causes the disease dropsy?

The major underlying causes of dropsy are congestive heart failure, liver failure, kidney failure, and malnutrition.