Under the Weather?

Glum? Not yourself? Wheezy? Achy? Fatigued? Vomiting blood? Perhaps you are suffering from one of these ailments. I came across this very helpful list on Geri Walton's blog, History of the 18th and 19th Centuries, and she has kindly allowed me to repost it here.  It seems that modern medicine is not quite as abysmal as it once was, but I will say this: physicians from centuries ago had a much more creative flair when it came to naming maladies.

A Ablepsy = Blindness Abortus = Miscarriage Ague = Malarial Fever American Plague = Yellow Fever Anasarca = Edema Air between the pleura = Pneumothorax Angina Maligna = See Putrid Sore Throat Aneurismus = Aneurism Aphtha or Aphthae = Thrush Apoplectic Fit, Apoplexia, Apoplexy = Stroke Asphycsia/Asphicsia = Cyanosis and lack of oxygen

B Bad Blood = Syphilis Bad smells or poisonous vapors = Miasma Bilious Fever = Hepatitis, Malaria, Typhoid, or elevated temperature and bile emesis Biliousness = Jaundice caused by Liver Disease Black Death = Bubonic Plague Black Fever = Visceral Leishmaniasis Black Plague = Bubonic Plague Black Vomit = Yellow Fever Blackwater Fever = Complication of Malaria where red blood cells burst in the bloodstream and release hemoglobin into blood vessels and urine that frequently leads to kidney failure. Blood Poisoning = Sepsis Bloody Flux = Dysentery Bloody Sweat = Hematidrosis Bloody Urine = Hematuria or Haematuria Blue Disease = Cyanosis Bone-ache = Syphilis or Venereal Disease Bone-ague = Syphilis or Venereal Disease Bone Shave = Sciatica Bowel Complaints = Thrush Brain Fever = Encephalitis Breakbone Fever = Dengue Fever Bright's Disease = Acute or Chronic Nephritis Bronze John = Yellow Fever

C Cachexy = Malnutrition Cafarhus Epidemicus = Influenza Camp Fever = Typhus Canine Madness = Rabies Catalepsy = Seizures or Trances Catarrh or Catarrhal = Inflammation of the mucous membranes, a cold, or bronchitis Catarrhus Epidemicus = Influenza Catarrhus Vesicae = Catarrh of the bladder Cerebritis = Lead Poisoning or Inflammation of Cerebrum Childbed Fever = Puerperal Fever Chin Cough - Pertussis or Whooping Cough Chlorosis = Iron Deficiency Anemia Cholera Biliosa = Cholera Cholera Infantum = Cholera Cholelithiasis = Gall Stones Chylous Urine = Chyluria Cold Plague = Ague characterized by contortions, convulsions, and dancing Consumption = Pulmonary Tuberculosis Congestive Chills = Malaria Congestive Fever = Malaria Colica = Colic Coryza = Bronchitis Cramp = Hysteria Cramp Colic = Appendicitis Croup = Diphtheria, Strep Throat, or spasmodic laryngitis associated with a cough and breath difficulties Crural Phlebitis = Phlegmasia Dolens Cyanosis = Dark skin color from lack of oxygen in blood Cynanche Maligna = see Putrid Sore Throat Cynanche Parotidea = Mumps Cynanche Tonsillaris = Quinsy Cynanche Trachealis = Croup

D Day Fever = a fever lasting one day Demence = Dementia Dentition = Teething Dock Fever = Yellow Fever Dropsy = Accumulation of abnormally large amounts of fluid resulting in swelling or Edema Dropsy on the brain = Hydrocephalus Dropsy of the pericardium = Hydropericardium Dropsy of the peritoneum = Ascites Dropsy of the pleura = Hydrothorax Drunkard's Liver = Cirrhosis Dry Bellyache = Lead poisoning Dyspepsia = Indigestion, heartburn, or heart attack symptoms

E Enteric Fever = Typhoid Fever Emesis = Vomiting Emphysema = Asthma English Sweate or English Sweating Sickness = Sweating Sickness Epilepsia = Epilepsy Epitaxis = Nosebleed Exanthemata = Exanthem

F Falland-Evyl = Epilepsy Falling Sickness = Epilepsy Fainting = Syncope Fatty Degeneration = Steatosis Fit = Epilepsy Febris Biliosa = Bilious Fever Febris Typhoides = Typhus Flooding = Bleeding Flox = Thrush Flux = Dysentery Frox = Thrush Frost = Thrush French Pox = Syphilis

G Glandular Fever = Mononucleosis Grandular Disease = Acute or Chronic Nephritis Great Pox = Syphilis Green Fever or Green Sickness = Anemia Grinder's Asthma = Silicosis Grocer's Itch = Dermatitis caused by mites Guinea Worm Disease = Drancunculiasis

H Hallucinations due to alcoholism = Delirium Tremens Hemiplegia = Paralysis Haemorhagia = Bleeding Hives = Chickenpox or Smallpox Hip Gout = Osteomylitis Horrors = Delirium Tremens Hydatids = Echinococcosis Hydropericardium = Collection of fluid around the heart resulting in constriction of the heart Hydrophobia = Rabies Hysteria Fit = Hysteria

I Icterus = Jaundice Idem with Tubercle = Meningitis Idiotismus = Idiocy Iliac Passion (blockage of the small and/or large intestine) = Ileus Indigestion = Dyspepsia Infantile Paralysis = Polio Inflammation of the air tubes = Bronchitis Inflammation of the ear = Otitis Inflammation of the eye = Opthalmia Inflammation of the internal membrane of the bowels = Enteritis Inflammation of the internal membrane of the heart = Endocarditis Inflammation of the internal membrane of the stomach = Gastritis Inflammation of the joints = Arthritis Inflammation of the larynx = Laryngitis Inflammation of the liver = Hepatitis Inflammation of the lungs = Pneumonia Inflammation of the mucous membrane = Catarrh Inflammation of the pericardium = Pericarditis Inflammation of the periosteum = Periostitis Inflammation of the testis = Orchitis Inflammation of the pleura = Pleuritis Inflammation of the spinal marrow = Myelitis Inflammation of the veins = Phlebitis Introversion of the bowels = Intussusception Irtis = Opthalmia Ischuria Urethralis = Stricture of the urethra or stoppage of the urine

J Jail Fever = Typhus

K King's Evil = Scrofula or Tuberculous Cervical Lymphadenitis

L Lagrippe - Influenza Leiboma = Watery swelling of the eyelids Lepra = Leprosy Locked Jaw = Tetanus Looseness = Diarrhea Low Fever = Typhus Lues Venera = Syphilis or Venereal Disease Lung Fever = Pneumonia

M Madness = Insanity Malignant Sore Throat = Diphtheria Membranous Croup - Diphtheria Mesenteric Disease = Tuberculosis Metritis = Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) Metroperitonitis = Peritonitis Miasmus = Poisonous vapors in the air Milk Leg = Phlegmasia Alba Dolens Miner's Phthisis = Silicosis Mismenstruation = Menstruation disorder or irregularity Monomania = Melancholy Morbus Pancreaticus = Diseases of the pancreas Mormal = Gangrene

N Nephrosis = Edema but is now used to described kidney degeneration Nervous Prostration = Physical and mental exhaustion Nutmeg Liver = Cirrhosis

O Obstipation = Constipation Ophthalmitis = Ophthalmia Ophthalmia Purulenta = Ophthalmia

P Palsy = Paralysis Paralytic Fit = Paralysis Paramenia = Menstruation disorder or irregularity Paraplegia = Paralysis Paronychia = Whitlow Partus = Childbirth Paroxysm = Convulsion Perimetritis = Peritonitis Pernicious Fever = Malaria Pestis = Plague Petechial Fever = Typhus Phlegmasia Alba Dolens = A variety of diseases related to Deep Vein Thrombosis Phrenitis = Encephalitis Phthisis = Pulmonary Tuberculosis Piles = Hemorrhoids Pleuritis = Pleurisy Podagra = Gout Poliomyelitis = Polio Potter's Asthma =  Inflammation of the lungs similar to Silicosis. Potter's Rot = Silicosis Puking Fever = Milk Sickness Purples = Purpura Purging = Diarrhea Putrid Fever = Diphtheria Putrid Sore Throat = Ulceration of an acute form that attacked the tonsils, see Quinsy Pyrosis = Heartburn

Q Quinsy = Tonsillitis or Peritonsillar Abscess

R Rachitis - Rickets Remittent Fever = Malaria Rheumatism = Sciatica Rose Cold = Hay Fever Rosalia = Scarlatina Rubeola = German Measles Rupture = Hernia

S Scarlatina = Scarlet Fever Scarlet Rash = Roseola Scorbutus = Scurvy Scrivener's Palsy = Writer's Cramp Screws = Rheumatism Senectus = Old Age Shakes = Delirium Tremens Skin Blisters = Shingles Ship Fever = Typhus Sloes = Milk sickness Sore Throat Distemper = Diphtheria or Quinsy Spasms = Hysteria Spotted Fever = Typhus or Meningitis St. Anthony's Fire = Erysipelas and also for any skin that was bright red in appearance Stranguria or Stranguary = Kidney Stones St. Vitus's Dance = Chorea Sudor Anglicus = Sweating Sickness Sugar in the liver = Diabetes Swamp Sickness = Malaria, Typhoid, or Encephalitis Swine Pox = Chickenpox or Smallpox

T Tabes Mesenterica = Tuberculosis Taenia = Tape Worm Tic Douloureux = Trigeminal Neuralgia Trismus = Tetanus Turn of Life = Menstruation disorder or irregularity Tussis Convulsiva = Whooping Cough Typhus Icterodes = Yellow Fever

U Ulcerated Sore Throat = Putrid Sore Throat Ulcus = Ulcer Uleus = Ulceration of the stomach Under Childbed = Puerperal Fever Under Disease = Salivation

V Varicella = Chickenpox or Hives Variola = Smallpox Vermes = Worms Vesicae = Disease of the kidneys or bladder Viper's Dance = Chorea Vomiting of blood = Hematemesis

W Wasting Away = Atrophy Water Brash = Heartburn Pyrosis Water on the Brain = Hydrocephalus Water Pox = Chickenpox or Smallpox White Mouth = Thrush White Leg = Phlegmasia Alba Dolens White Swelling = Scrofula, also known as Tuberculous Cervical Lymphadenitis Winter Fever = Pneumonia Womb Fever = Infection of the uterus

Y Yellowjacket = Yellow Fever

With compliments,

Keith