In case any of you come across diseases or medical terms in source documents, I thought you might be interested in this. Regards, SgtGeorge George W. Durman ================================== OLD MEDICAL TERMS AND DISEASES: (From Shirley Hornbeck's website at Rootsweb.) PART 2 OF 3: Day Fever: Fever lasting one day; sweating sickness. Debility: Abnormal bodily weakness or feebleness; decay of strength. This was a term descriptive of a patient's condition and of no help in making a diagnosis. Synonym: "Asthenia". Decrepitude: Feebleness due to old age. Delirium tremens: Hallucinations due to alcoholism. Dengue: Infectious fever endemic to East Africa. Dentition: Cutting of teeth. Deplumation: Tumor of the eyelids which causes hair loss. Diary fever: A fever that lasts one day. Diphtheria: An acute infectious disease acquired by contact with an infected person or a carrier of the disease. It was usually confined to the upper respiratory tract (throat) and characterized by the formation of a tough membrane (false membrane) attached firmly to the underlying tissue that would bleed if forcibly removed. In the Nineteenth Century the disease was occasionally confused with ScarletFever and Croup. Distemper: Usually animal disease with malaise, discharge from nose and throat; Anorexia. Dock fever: Yellow fever. Dropsy: A contraction for "Hydropsy". The presence of abnormally large amounts of fluid. Congestive Heart Failure. Dropsy of the Brain: Encephalitis. Dry bellyache: Lead Poisoning. Dyscrasy: An abnormal body condition. Dysentery: A term given to a number of disorders marked by inflammation of the intestines (especially of the colon). There are two specific varieties: (1) Amebic Dysentery, (2) Bacillary Dysentery. Synonyms: "Flux", "Bloody Flux", "Contagious Pyrexia (Fever)", "Frequent Griping Stools". Dysorexy: Reduced appetite. Dyspepsia: Indigestion and heartburn. Heart attack symptoms. Dysury: Difficulty in urination. Eclampsia: A form of toxemia (toxins, or poisons, in the blood) accompanying pregnancy. See "Dropsy". Eclampsy: Symptoms of epilepsy; convulsions during labor. Edema: Nephrosis; swelling of tissues. Edema of Lungs: Congestive heart failure, a form of "Dropsy". Eel Thing: Erysipelas. Effluvia: Exhalations. In the mid-Nineteenth Century, they were called "vapours" and distinguished into the Contagious Effluvia, such as "Rubeolar (measles)"; "Marsh Effluvia", such as "Miasmata". Elephantiasis: A form of "Leprosy". Emphysema, Pulmonary: A chronic, irreversible disease of the lungs. Encephalitis: Swelling of brain; aka "Sleeping Sickness". Enteric fever: Typhoid Fever. Enterocolitis: Inflammation of the intestines. Enteritis: Inflammation of the bowels. Epilepsy: A disorder of the nervous system, characterized either by mild, episodic loss of attention or sleepiness (petittnal) or by severe convulsions with loss of consciousness (grand mal). Synonyms: "Falling Sickness", "Fits". Epitaxis: Nose bleed. Erysipelas: Contagious skin disease due to Streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions. Synonyms: "Rose", "Saint Anthony's Fire" (from its burning heat or, perhaps, because Saint Anthony was supposed to cure it miraculously). Extravasted Blood: Rupture of a blood vessel. Falling Sickness: Epilepsy. Fatty Liver: Cirrhosis of the Liver. Fits: Sudden attack or seizure of muscle activity. Flux: An excessive flow or discharge of fluid like hemorrhage or diarrhea/dysentery. Flux of Humour: Circulation. French Pox: Syphilis. Furuncle: A boil. Gangrene: Death and decay of tissue in a part of the body due to injury, disease, or failure of blood supply. Synonym: "Mortification". Gathering: A collection of pus. Glandular Fever: Mononucleosis. Gleet: See "Catarrh". Gravel: A disease characterized by small stones which are formed in the kidneys, passed along the ureters to the bladder, and expelled with the urine. Synonym: "Kidney Stone". Great Pox: Syphilis. Green Fever or Green Sickness: Anemia. Grippe: An old term for influenza Grocer's Itch: Skin disease caused by mites in sugar or flour. Heart Sickness: Condition caused by loss of salt from body. Heat Stroke: Body temperature elevates because of surrounding environment temperature and body does not perspire to reduce temperature. Coma and death result if not reversed. Hectic Fever or Hectical Complaint: A daily recurring fever with profound sweating, chills, and flushed appearance, often associated with pulmonary tuberculosis or septic poisoning. Hematemesis: Vomiting blood. Hematuria: Bloody urine. Hemiplegy: Paralysis of one side of body. Hip Gout: Osteomylitis. Hives: A skin eruption of smooth, slightly elevated areas on the skin which is redder or paler than the surrounding skin. Often attended by severe itching. Also called "Cynanche Trachealis". In the mid- Nineteenth Century, hives was a commonly given cause of death of children three years and under. Because true hives does not kill, croup was probably the actual cause of death in those children. Horrors: Delirium tremens. Hospital Fever: See "Typhus". Hydrocephalus: Enlarged head, water on the brain. See "Dropsy". Hydroperticardium: Heart dropsy. Hydrothorax: See "Dropsy". Hydrophobia: Rabies. Hydrothroax: Dropsy in chest. Hypertrophic: Enlargement of organ, like the heart. Icterus: See "Jaundice". Impetigo: Contagious skin disease characterized by pustules. Inanition: Exhaustion from lack of nourishment; starvation. Infantile Paralysis: Polio. Infection: In the early part of the 20th Century, infections were thought to be the propagation of disease by Effluvia (see above) from patients crowded together. "Miasms" were believed to be substances which could not be seen in any form, emanations not apparent to the senses. Such Miasms were understood to act by infection. Inflammation: Redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, heat, and disturbed function of an area of the body. In the 20th Century, cause of death often was listed as inflammation of a body organ, such as, brain or lung, but this was purely a descriptive term and is not helpful in identifying the actual underlying disease. Intestinal Colic: Abdominal pain due to improper diet. Jail Fever: Typhus. Jaundice: Yellow discoloration of the skin, whites of the eyes, and mucous membranes, due to an increase of bile pigments in the blood. Synonym: "Icterus". Kidney Stone: See "Gravel". Kings Evil: A popular name for "Scrofula". The name originated in the time of Edward the Confessor, with the belief that the disease could be cured by the touch of the King of England. Kruchhusten: Whooping Cough. Lagrippe: Influenza. Living-In: Time of delivery of infant. Lockjaw: Tetanus, a disease in which the jaws become firmly locked together. Synonyms: "Trismus", "Tetanus". Lues Disease: Syphilis. Lues Venera: Venereal disease. Lumbago: Back pain. Lung Fever: Pneumonia Lung Sickness: Tuberculosis. Malignant Fever: See "Typhus". Malignant Sore Throat: Diphtheria. Mania: Insanity. Marasmus: Malnutrition occurring in infants and young children, caused by an insufficient intake of calories or protein. Membranous Croup: Diphtheria. Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges (brain and spinal cord) characterized by high fever, severe headache, and stiff neck or back muscles. Synonym: "Brain Fever". Metritis: Inflammation of uterus or purulent vaginal discharge. Miasma: Poisonous vapors thought to infect air. Milk Fever: Disease from drinking milk from cows contaminated by "Undulant Fever" or "Brucellosis". Milk Leg: Post Partum Thrombophlebitis. Milk Sickness: Poisoning resulting from the drinking of milk produced by a cow who had eaten a plant known as white snake- root or other poisonous weeds. Mormal: Gangrene. Morphew: Scurvy blisters on the body. Mortification: Gangrene of necrotic tissue. Myelitis: Inflammation of the spine. Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart muscles. (Some of the above was been compiled by Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy in 1996.)