Re-posted to the Clayton co. list with Joanne's permission: >>Many, many years ago someone posted this list and I kept a copy. Some of >>these names are quite interesting and others are quite odd. Make a copy >>and keep it with your notes. It might come in handy while reading those >>very, very old death certificates. Joanne ABLEPSY- blindness AGUE - malarial fever AMERICAN PLAGUE - yellow fever ANASARCA -general massive edema APHONIA - laryngitis APHTHA - infant disease "thrush" APOPLEXY - paralysis from stroke ASPHYCSIA/ASPHICSIA - cyanotic (lack of oxygen) ATROPHY - wasting away BAD BLOOD - syphilis BILIOUS FEVER - typhoid, malaria, hepatitis or high temperature and bile emesis. Also what we call yellow jaundice today BILIOUSNESS - jaundice from liver disease BLACK PLAGUE OR DEATH - bubonic plague BLACK FEVER - acute infection with high temperature and dark red skin lesions, high mortality rate BLACK POX - black small pox BLACK VOMIT - vomiting odd black blood due to ulcers or yellow fever BLACKWATER FEVER - dark urine with high temperature BLADDER IN THROAT - diphtheria (seen on death certificates BLOOD POISONING - bacterial infection; septicemia BLOODY FLUX - bloody stools BLOODY SWEAT - sweating sickness BONE SHAVE - sciatica BRAIN FEVER - meningitis BREAKBONE - dengue fever BRIGHT'S DISEASE - chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys BRONZE JOHN - yellow fever BULE - boil, tumor or swelling CACHEXY - malnutrition CACOGASTRIC - upset stomach CACOSPYSY - irregular pulse CADUCEUS - subject to falling sickness or epilepsy CAMP FEVER - typhus or camp diarrhea CANINE MADNESS - rabies, hydrophobia CANKER - ulceration of mouth or lips or herpes simplex CATALEPSY - seizures or trances CATARRHAL - nose and throat discharge from cold or allergy CEREBRITIS - inflammation of cerebrum or lead poisoning CHILBLAIN - swelling of extremities from exposure to cold CHILD BED FEVER - infection following child birth CHIN COUGH - whopping cough CHLOROSIS - iron deficiency anemia CHOLERA - acute, severe, contagious diarrhea with intestional lining sloughing CHOLERA MORBUS - characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc., could be appendicitis CHOLECYSTITUS - inflammation of the gall bladder CHOLELITHIASIS - gall stones CHOREA - Disease characterized by convulsions, contortions and dancing COLD PLAGUE - ague characterized by chills COLIC - an abdominal pain and cramping CONGESTIVE CHILLS - malaria CONSUMPTION - tuberculosis CONGESTION - any collection of fluid in an organ, like the lungs CONGESTIVE CHILLS - malaria CONGESTIVE FEVER - malaria CORRUPTION - infection CORYZA - a cold COSTIVENESS - constipation CRAMP COLIC - appendicitis CROP SICKNESS - overextended stomach CROUP - laryngitis, diphtheria or strep throat CYANOSIS - dark skin color from lack of oxygen in blood CYNANCHE - diseases of throat CYSTITIS - inflammation of the bladder DAY FEVER - fever lasting one day; sweating sickness DEBILITY - lack of movement, staying in bed DECREPITUDE - feebleness from old age DELIRIUM TREMENS - hallucinations due to alcoholism DENGUE - infectious fever endemic to East Africa DENTITION - cutting of teeth DEPLUMATION - tumor of the eyelids causing hair loss DIARY FEVER - a fever that lasts one day DIPTHERIA - contagious disease of the throat DISTEMPER - usually animal disease with malaise, discharge from nose and throat, anorexia DOCK FEVER - yellow fever DROPSY - edema (swelling) often caused by kidney or heart disease DROPSY OF THE BRAIN - encephalitis DRY BELLYACHE - lead poisoning DYSCRASY - an abnormal body condition DYSENTERY - inflammation of colon with frequent passage of mucous and blood DYSOREXY - reduced appetite DYSPEPSIA - indigestion and heartburn. Heart attack symptoms DYSURY - difficulty in urination ENCLAMPSY - 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 brain or sleeping sickness ENTERIC FEVER - typhoid fever ENTEROCOLITIS - inflammation of the bowels ENTERITIS - inflation of the bowels EPITAXIS - nose bleed ERYSIPELAS - contagious skin disease from streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions EXTRAVASTED BLOOD - rupture of a blood vessel FALLING SICKNESS - epilepsy FATTY LIVER - cirrhosis of liver FITS - sudden attack or seizure of muscle activity FLUX - an excessive flow or discharge of fluid like hemorrhage or diarrhea FLUX OF HUMOUR - circulation FRENCH POX - syphilis GATHERING - a collection of pus GLANDULAR FEVER - mononucleosis GREAT POX - syphilis GREEN FEVER/SICKNESS - anemia GRIPPE/GRIP - influenza like symptoms GROCER'S ITCH - skin disease caused bymites 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 HECTICAL COMPLAINT - recurrent fever HEMATEMESIS - vomiting blood HEMATURIA - bloody urine HEMIPLEGY - paralysis of one side of body HIP GOUT - osteomylitis HORRORS - delirium tremens HYDROCEPHALUS - enlarged head, water on the brain HYDROPERICARDIUM - heart dropsy HYDROPHOBIA - rabies HYDROTHROAX - dropsy in chest HYPERTROPHIC - enlargement of organ, like the heart IMPETIGO - contagious skin disease with pustules INANITION - physical condition resulting from lack of food INFANTILE PARALYSIS - polio INTESTINAL COLIC - abdominal pain from improper diet JAIL FEVER - typhus JAUNDICE - condition caused by blockage of intestines KING'S EVIL - tuberculosis of neck and lymph glands KRUCHHUSTEN - whooping cough LAGRIPPE - influenza LOCKJAW - tetanus or infectious disease affecting th emuscvles of the neck and jaw. Untreated it is fatal in 8 days LONG SICKNESS - tuberculosis LUES DISEASE - syphilis LUES VENEERA - veneral disease LUMBAGO - back pain LUNG FEVER - pneumonia LUNG SICKNESS - tuberculosis LYING IN - time of delivery of infant MALIGNANT SORE THROAT - diphtheria MANIA - insanity MARASMUS - progressive wasting away of body, like malnutrition MEMBRANOUS CROUP - diphtheria MENINGITIS - inflations of brain or spinal cord METRITIS - inflammation of uterus or purulent vaginal discharge MIASMA - poisonous vapors thought to infect the air MILK FEVER - disease from drinking contaminated milk, like undulant fever or brucellosis MILK LEG - post partum thrombophlebitis MILK SICKNESS - disease from milk of cattle which had eaten poisonous weeds MORMAL - gangrene MORPHEW - scurvy blisters on the body MORTIFICATION - gangrene of necrotic tissue MYELITIS - inflammation of the spine MYOCARDITIS - inflammation of heart muscles NECROSIS - mortification of bones or tissue NEPHROSIS - kidney degeneration NEPRITIS - inflammation of kidneys NERVOUS PROSTRATION - extreme exhaustion from inability to control physical and mental activities NEURALGIA - described as discomfort, such as "headache" was neuralgia in head NOSTALGIA - homesickness PALSY - paralysis or uncontrolled movement of controlled muscles PARAXYSM - convulsion PEMPHIGUS - skin disease with watery blisters PERICARDITIS - inflammation of heart PERIPNEUMONIA - inflammation of lungs PERITONOTIS - inflammation of abdominal area PETECHIAL FEVER - fever with skin spotting PUERPERAL EXHAUSTION - death from child birth PHTHIRIASIS - lice infestation PHTHISIS - chronic wasting away or a name for tuberculosis PLAGUE - an acute febrile highly infectious disease with a high fatality rate PLEURISY - any pain in the chest area with each breath PODAGRA - gout POLIOMYELITIS - polio potter's asthma POTT'S DISEASE - tuberculosis of spine PUERPERAL EXHAUSTION - death from childbirth PUERPERAL FEVER - elevated temperature after giving birth to an infant PUKING FEVER - milk sickness PUTRID FEVER - diphtheria QUINSY - tonsillitis REMITTING FEVER - malaria PHEUMATISM - any disorder associated with pain in joints RICKETS - disease of skeletal system ROSE COLD - hay fever or nasal symptoms of an allergy ROTANNY FEVER - children's disease RUBEOLA - german measles SANGUINEOUS CRUST - scab SCARLATINA - scarlet fever SCARLET FEVER - a disease with a red rash SCARLET RASH - roseola SCIATICA - rheumatism in the hips SCIRRHUS - cancerous tumors SCOTOMY - dizziness, nausea and dimness of sight SCRIVENER'S PALSY - writer's cramp SCREWS - rheumatism SCROFULA - tuberculosis of neck lymph glands. Progresses slowly with abscesses and pistulas developing. Usually occurs in the young SCRUMPOX - skin disease, impetigo SCURVY - lack of vitamin C. Symptoms of weakness, spongy gums, hemmoraging under skin SEPTICEMIA - blood poisoning shakes SHAKING - chills, ague SHINGLES - viral disease with skin blisters SHIP FEVER - typhus SIRIASIS - inflammation of the brain from exposure to the sun SLOES - milk sickness SMALL POX - contagious disease with fever and blisters SOFTENING OF BRAIN - result of stroke or hemorrhage in the brain with an end result of the tissue softening in that area SORE THROAT DISTEMPER - diphtheria or quinsy SPANISH INFLUENZA - epidemic influenza SPASMS - sudden involuntary contraction of muscle or group of muscles, like a convulsion SPINA BIFIDA - deformity of spine SPOTTED FEVER - either typhus or meningitis SPRUE - tropical disease with intestinal disorders and sore throat ST. ANTHONY'S FIRE - also erysipelas but named so because of affected skin areas are bright red in appearance ST. VITAS DANCE - ceaseless occurrence of rapid complex jerking movements performed involuntary STOMATITIS - inflammation of the mouth STRANGER'S FEVER - yellow fever STRANGERY - rupture SUDOR ANGLICUS - sweating sickness SUMMER COMPLAINT - diarrhea usually in infants caused by spoiled milk SUNSTROKE - uncontrolled elevation of body temperature due to environment heat. Lack of sodium in the body is a predisposing cause SWAMP SICKNESS - could be malaria, typhoid or encephalitis SWEATING SICKNESS - infectious and fatal disease common to UK in 15th century TETANUS - infectious fever with high fever, headache and idzziness THROMBOSIS - blood clot inside blood vessel. Thrush TICK FEVER - rocky mountain spotted fever TOXEMIA OF PREGNANCY - eclampsia TRENCH MOUTH - painful ulcers found along gum line caused by poor nutrition and poor hygiene TUSSIS CONVULSIVA - whooping cough TYPHUS - infectious fever with high fever, headache and dizziness VARIOLA - smallpox VENESECTION - bleeding VIPER'S DANCE - St. Vitus dance WATER ON BRAIN - enlarged head WHITE SWELLING - tuberculosis of the bone WINTER FEVER - pneumonia WOMB FEVER - infection of the uterus WORM FIT - convulsions associated with teething, worms, high temperature or diarrhea YELLOWJACKET - yellow fever This it it folks. I've typed my hands off. Hope you enjoy reading some of these illness. I had to laugh at some of the names. Best wishes, Joanne