Defintions of some diseases in our ancestors time

Patricia Baldwin

The following is a list ( that I transcribed and alphabetized and kept 'her' spelling in places ) that I found in my Great Gram's old medical bag. She was an 'self defined' Healer in the 1920's. Hope this helps. [This is a historical document and subject to factual inaccuracies.]

MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND DISEASES NAME
AGUE malarial fever
APOPLEXY stroke
BAD BLOOD syphilis
BILIOUS FEVER fever due to a liver disorder
BLACK PLAGUE/BLACK DEATH bubonic plague
BLACK POX black smallpox
BLACK VOMIT vomiting old (black) blood due to ulcers yellow fever
BLOOD POISONING bacterial infection; septicemia
BLOODY FLUX dysentery
BLOODY SWEAT sweating sickness
BONE SHAVE sciatica
BREAKBONE dengue fever
BRIGHT'S DISEASE kidney disease, glomerulonephritis
BRONZE JOHN yellow fever
CACHEXY malnutrition
CACOGASTRIC upset stomach
CACOSPYSY irregular pulse
CAMP FEVER typhoid fever, aka camp diarrhea
CATALEPSY condition which causes seizures, trances, or unconsciousness
CATARRH runny eyes & nose, influenza
CHILBLAIN swelling of the extremities cause by exposure to cold
CHILDBED FEVER infection following childbirth, puerperal fever
CHIN COUGH whooping cough
CHLOROSIS condition of pale or greenish skin, weakness, & dyspepsia
CHOLECYSTITIS inflammation of the gall bladder
CHOLELITHIASIS stones of the gall bladder
CHOREA disease characterized by convulsions, contortions,and dancing
COLD PLAGUE ague which is characterized by chills
CONGESTIVE CHILLS malaria
CONSUMPTION pulmonary tuberculosis
CRAMP COLIC appendicitis
CROP SICKNESS overextended stomach
CROUP laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat
CYANOSIS blueness of skin due to lack of oxygen
CYNANCHE diseases of the throat
CYSTITIS inflammation of the bladder
DAY FEVER a fever lasting one day, sweating sickness
DECREPITUDE feebleness due to old age
DELIRIUM TREMENS hallucinations due to alcoholism
DENGUE infectious fever endemic to East Africa
DENTITION cutting of the teeth
DEPLUMATION tumor of the eyelids which causes hair loss
DIARY FEVER a fever lasting one day
DIPTHERIA contagious disease of the throat
DOCK FEVER yellow fever
DROPSY congestive heart failure
DROPSY OF THE BRAIN encephalitis
DRY BELLYACHE lead poisoning
DYSCRASY an abnormal body condition
DYSOREXY reduced appetite
DYSPEPSIA bad digestion
DYSURY difficulty in urination
ECLAMPSY symptoms of epilepsy, convulsions during labor
ECSTASY a form of catalepsy characterized by loss of reason
EDEMA nephrosis, swelling of tissues
EDEMA OF LUNGS congestive heart failure, a form of dropsy
EEL THING erysipelas
ELEPHANTIASIS a form of leprosy
ENCEPHALITIS swelling of the brain, aka sleeping sickness
ENTERIC FEVER typhoid fever
ENTEROCOLITIS inflammation of the intestines
ENTERITIS inflammation of the bowels
EPITAXIS nose bleed
ERYSIPELAS skin disease caused by an infection of the blood, aka St. Anthony's Fire
FATTY LIVER cirrhosis of the liver
FLUX discharge of fluid from the body
FLUX OF HUMOR circulation
GATHERING a collection of pus
GLANDULAR FEVER mononucleosis
GRIPPE the flu; influenza
GROCER'S ITCH skin disease caused by mites in sugar and flour
HEART SICKNESS condition cause by loss of salt from the body
HECTICAL COMPLAINT recurrent fever
HEMATEMESIS vomiting blood
HEMATURIA bloody urine
HEMIPLEGY paralysis of one side of the body
HORRORS delirium tremens
HYDROCEPHALUS dropsy of the brain, water on the brain
HYDROPERICARDIUM heart dropsy
HYDROPHOBIA fear of water, rabies
HYDROTHORAX dropsy in the chest
HYERTROPY OF HEART enlarged heart
IMPETIGO contagious skin disease characterized by pustules
INFANTILE PARALYSIS polio
INTESTINAL COLIC abdominal pain due to improper diet
JAIL FEVER typhus
JAUNDICE condition caused by blockage of the intestines
KEUCHHUSTEN whooping cough
KING'S EVIL scrofula
LOCK JAW tetanus
LUNG FEVER pneumonia
LUNG SICKNESS tuberculosis
MARASMUS condition caused by malnutrition or intestinal disease
MENINGITIS inflammation of the brain or spinal cord
MIASMA poisonous vapors thought to infect the air
MILK FEVER fever which effects lactating women
MILK SICKNESS disease from the milk from cattle which had eaten poisonous weeds
MORMAL gangrene
MORPHEW scurvy blisters on the body
MYELITIS inflammation of the spine
MYOCARDITITS inflammation of the heart muscles
NECROSIS mortification of bones or tissue
NEPRITIS inflammation of the kidneys
NEPHROSIS kidney degeneration
NEURALGIA affliction of the nerves causing pain
PALSY paralysis or loss of muscle control
PAROXYSM convulsion
PEMPHIGUS skin disease of watery blisters
PERICARDITITS inflamation of the heart
PERIPNEUMONIA inflamation of the lungs
PERITONITIS inflamation of the abdominal area
PETECHIAL FEVER fever characterized by spotting of the skin
PHTHIRIASIS lice infestation
PHTHISIS wasting away of the body due to tuberculosis or consumption
PLEURISY inflammation of the thorax
PODAGRA gout
POLIOMYELITIS polio
POTTER'S ASTHMA fibroid phthisis
POTT'S DISEASE tuberculosis of the spine
PUERPERAL EXHAUSTION death due to childbirth
PUERPERAL FEVER septic poisoning associated with childbirth
PUKING FEVER milk sickness
PUTRID FEVER typhus or diphtheria
QUINSY streptococcal tonsillitis
REMITTING FEVER malaria
RHEUMATISM disease of the joints
RICKETS disease of the skeletal system
RUBEOLA German measles
ST. ANTHONY'S FIRE erysipelas
ST. VITUS' DANCE chorea
SCARIATINA scarlet fever
SCARLET FEVER a disease characterized by a red rash and sore throat
SCARLET RASH roseola
SCIATICA rheumatism in the hips
SCIRRHUS cancerous tumors
SCOTOMY dizziness, nausea, and dimness of sight
SCRIVENER'S PALSY writer's cramp
SCROFULA tuberculosis of the neck lymph nodes
SCRUMPOX skin disease, impetigo
SEPTICEMIA blood poisoning
SHAKES delirium tremens
SHAKING chills, ague
SHINGLES viral diseases characterized by skin blisters
SHIP FEVER typhus
SIRASIS inflamation of the brain due to sun exposure
SLOES milk sickness
SMALL POX contagious disease characterized by fever and blisters
SOFTENING OF THE BRAIN apoplexy
SPANISH INFLUENZA an epidemic influenza
SPINA BIFIDA deformity of the spine
SPOTTED FEVER typhus, cerebrospinal meningitis fever
SPRUE tropical disease characterized by intestinal disorders and sore throat
STOMATITIS inflammation of the mouth
STRANGER'S FEVER yellow fever
SUDOR ANGLICUS sweating sickness
SUMMER COMPLAINT diarrhea
SWEATING SICKNESS infectious & fatal disease common to the UK in the 15th century
TETANUS infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache, & dizziness 
THROMBOSIS blood clot inside a blood vessel
THRUSH childhood disease characterized by white spots on the mouth, lips, and throat
TUSSIS CONVULSIVA whooping cough
TYPHUS infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache, & dizziness
VIPER'S DANCE Saint Vitus' Dance
WINTER FEVER pneumonia