The 11 Nov 1991 issue of ANTIQUE WEEK contained an article by John V. Heisey entitled "Are Strange Diseases of Ancestors Interpreted in 20th Century Terms?" Based on this article plus a list of medical terms from the Prodigy Genealogy Bulletin Board and another list from the Fall 1986 Appleland Bulletin, the following combined list was composed.

Old Name
Medical Name/Meaning
AblepsiaBlindness
African Consumption Tuberculosis
Ansasrca Generalized Dropsy
Ague recurring fever & chills of Malaria
Angina Pectoris Paroxysms with severe pain in lower chest, feeling of suffocation
Apoplexy Stroke
Bethlehemite Mentally ill person
Bilious fever Fever, liver disorder the cause
Black Death typhus
Black Lung From breathing coal dust
Black Pox Smallpox
Bloody Flux Dysentery
Brain Fever Sun stroke
Bright's Disease Kidney Inflammation
Bronze John Yellow Fever
Camp Fever Typhus
Canine Madness Hydrophobia (Rabies)
Catarrh (1) Inflammation of Mucous Membrane or
(2) Cerebral Hemorrhage (Apoplexy)
Cerebritis Inflammation of the Brain
Childbed Fever Infection following Childbirth
Chin Cough Whooping cough
Chorea St. Vitus Dance
Commotion Concussion
Congestive Chill Accumulation of the blood in the blood vessels
Congestive Fever Malaria
Consuption Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Corruption Infection
Coryza Cold
Cramp Colic Appendicitis
Debilitas Weakness of the Body
Devonshire Colic Erposure to lead
Dropsy Edema caused by kidney or heart disease
Dysentery Inflammation of intestinal mucous membrane
Dyspepsia Acid Indigestion
Enteric Fever Typhoid Fever
Enteritis Intestinal inflammation
Extravasated blood Ruptured blood vessel
Falling Sickness Epilepsy
Fits Convulsions
Flus of Humour Circulation
French Disease Syphilis
French Pox Venereal Disease
Galloping Consumption Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Green Sickness Anemia
Grippe Influenza
Hallucination Delirium
Hip Gout Osteomyelitis
Ictus Solis Sunstroke
Jail Fever Typhus
King's Evil Scrofula; Swelling of the neck glands
La Grippe Flu
Lues Venera Venereal Disease
Lumbago Pain in lower back, hip, or thigh: Sciatica
Lung fever Pneumonia
Lung Sickness Tuberculosis
Mania Insanity
Mirasmus Emaciation
Milk Leg inflammation of leg
Morbus Disease
Mormal Gangrene
Mortification Infection
Nostalgia Homesickness
Painter's Colic Exposure to lead
Phthisis Pulmonary Consumption
Pleurisy Inflammation of Lung
Pox Syphilis
Puerperal Fever Infection following childbirth
Putrid Fever Diphtheria
Quinsey Tonsillitis
Remitting Fever Malaria
Sanguinous Crust Scab
Scorbutus Lack of Vitamin C
Screws Rheumatism
Scrofula see King's Evil
Senile Gangrene Hardening of the Arteries
Ship's Fever Typhus
Sore Throat Distemper Quinsey
St. Anthony's Fire Skin Infection
St. Vitus' Dance Nervous Twitches
Sloes Milk Sickness
Ulcus Ulcer
Venesection Bleeding
Whitlow Boil
Winter Fever Pneumonia
Yellow Jacket Yellow Fever

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