Defintions of some diseases in our ancestors time
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 [This is a historical document and subject to factual inaccuracies.]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 |