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 [This is a historical document and subject to factual inaccuracies.]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 |