'antiscrofulous' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek anti-, meaning 'against') combined with 'scrofulous', which derives from Latin 'scrofula' meaning 'a mange or scab (scrofula)'.

'antiscrofulous' was formed in modern English by adding the productive adjective-forming suffix '-ous' to 'scrofula' (via Middle English/Old French forms of 'scrofula'), prefixed by 'anti-' to indicate opposition to the disease.

Initially it literally meant 'against scrofula' and over time retained this specific medical sense of being preventive or curative for scrofula; the basic meaning has remained consistent though the term became rare.