ARCHAIC  MEDICAL  TERMS
and Their Modern Equivalents
ABLEPSY	Blindness
ACUTE MANIA	Severe insanity
ADDISON'S DISEASE	A disease characterized by severe weakness, low blood pressure, and a bronzed coloration of the skin, due to decreased secretion of cortisol from the adrenal gland.
AGUE	Used to define the recurring fever & chills of malarial infection
AGUE-CAKE	Enlargement of the spleen, resulting from the action of malaria on the system.
AMERICAN PLAGUE	Yellow fever
ANASARCA	Generalized massive edema (swelling)
APHONIA	Laryngitis
APHTHA	Thrush
APOPLEXY	Paralysis due to stroke
ASPHYCSIA/ASPHICSIA	Cyanotic and lack of oxygen
ATROPHY	Wasting away (generally from lack of use, i.e. muscles)
BAD BLOOD	Syphilis
BILIOUS FEVER	Typhoid, malaria, hepatitis
BILIOUSNESS	Jaundice or other symptoms associated with liver disease; may also have been any upset leading to vomiting bile or just vomiting
BLACK FEVER	Acute infection with high temperature and dark red skin lesions and high mortality rate
BLACK JAUNDICE	Wiel's Disease; Black Water fever (deadly form of malaria)
BLACK PLAGUE OR DEATH	Bubonic plague
BLACK POX	Black Smallpox
BLACK VOMIT	Vomiting old black blood due to ulcers or yellow fever
BLACKWATER FEVER	Dark urine associated with high temperature (deadly form of malaria)
BLADDER IN THROAT	Diphtheria (as 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; aka Camp diarrhea
CANINE MADNESS	Rabies, hydrophobia
CANCRUM OTIS	A severe, destructive, eroding ulcer of the cheek and lip, seen in delicate, ill-fed, ill-tended children between the ages of 2 and 5. Leading to gangrene, it was often fatal.
CANKER	An ulcerous sore of the mouth and lips, not considered fatal today.
CATALEPSY	Seizures / trances
CATARRH	Inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially of the air passages of the head and throat, with a free discharge in the nose and throat areas.
CEREBRITIS	Inflammation of cerebrum or lead poisoning
CHILBLAIN	Swelling of extremities caused by exposure to cold
CHILD BED FEVER	Infection following birth of a child
CHIN COUGH	Whooping cough
CHLOROSIS	Iron deficiency anemia; leukemia
CHOLECYSTITUS	Inflammation of the gall bladder
CHOLELITHIASIS	Gall stones
CHOLERA	Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing
CHOLERA  INFANTUM	A common, noncontagious diarrhea of young children.  Common among the poor and in hand-fed babies. Death frequently occurred in three to five days.
CHOLERA MORBUS	Characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc. Could be appendicitis
CHOREA	Disease characterized by convulsions, contortions and dancing
COLD PLAGUE	Ague which is characterized by chills
COLIC	An abdominal pain and cramping
COMMOTION	Concussion
CONGESTION	Any collection of fluid in an organ, like the lungs
CONGESTIVE CHILLS	Malaria
CONGESTIVE CHILLS	Malaria with diarrhea
CONGESTIVE FEVER	Malaria
CONSUMPTION	Tuberculosis; Wasting sickness
CORRUPTION	Infection
CORYZA	A cold
COSTIVENESS	Constipation
CRAMP COLIC	Appendicitis
CROP SICKNESS	Overextended stomach
CROUP	Obstructive condition of the larynx (voice box) or trachea (windpipe), characterized by a hoarse, barking cough and difficult breathing occurring chiefly in infants.
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	Abnormal bodily weakness or feebleness; decay of strength.
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
DIPTHERIA	An acute infectious disease in the throat area, characterized by the formation of a tough membrane attached firmly to the underlying tissue.
DISTEMPER	Usually animal disease with malaise, discharge from nose and throat, anorexia
DOCK FEVER	Yellow fever
DOMESTIC  ILLNESS	A disease of women that it is related to urinary incontinence.
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
ECLAMPSIA	A form of toxemia (toxins--or poisons--in the blood) accompanying pregnancy.
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
EFFLUVIA	Exhalations. In the mid-19th century, they were called "vapours" and distinguished into the contagious effluvia, such as rubeolar (measles); marsh effluvia (miasmata).
ELEPHANTIASIS	A form of leprosy
ENCEPHALITIS	Swelling of brain; aka sleeping sickness
ENTERIC FEVER	Typhoid fever
ENTERITIS	Inflations of the bowels
ENTEROCOLITIS	Inflammation of the intestines
EPITAXIS	Nose bleed
ERYSIPELAS	Contagious skin disease, due to Streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions
EUPHORIA	Inappropriate affect -- laughing when you shouldn't, grimaces, etc. Shell shock, battle fatigue, post traumatic stress syndrome, etc. Tourette syndrome?
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
FURUNCLE	Boil, tumor or swelling
GANGRENE	Death and decay of tissue in a part of the body--usually a limb--due to injury, disease, or failure of blood supply. Synonym: mortification.
GATHERING	A collection of pus
GLANDULAR FEVER	Mononucleosis
GLEET	Urethral catarrh.
GOUT	An inflammation of an extremity - usually the foot resulting from some fatty blood vessel/circulation problems not unlike arthritis.
GRAVEL	Kidney stones
GREAT POX	Syphilis
GREEN FEVER / SICKNESS	Anemia
GRIPPE/GRIP	Influenza like symptoms
GROCER'S ITCH	Skin disease caused by mites in sugar or flour
HALLUCINATION	Delirium
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	Osteomyelitis, a staph infection
HIVES	Reddish or pale skin eruption.  Often accompanied croup in small children.  Babies diagnosed as having died from ‘hives’ usually actually had croup.
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 characterized by pustules
INANITION	Physical condition resulting from lack of food
INFANTILE PARALYSIS	Polio
INTESTINAL COLIC	Abdominal pain due to improper diet
JAIL FEVER	Typhus
JAUNDICE	Condition caused by blockage of intestines
KING'S EVIL	Scrofula, a tubercular infection of the throat lymph glands.  The name originated from the belief that the disease could be cured by the touch of the king of England.
KRUCHHUSTEN	Whooping cough
LA GRIPPE	Flu; influenza
LOCKJAW	Tetanus or infectious disease affecting the muscles of the neck and jaw. Untreated, it is fatal in 8 days
LONG SICKNESS	Tuberculosis
LUES DISEASE	Syphilis
LUES VENERA	Venereal disease; syphilis
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
MARFAN'S  SYNDROME	Genetic disorder producing long limbs, long fingers and toes, heart defects, etc.
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	Phlebitis; a painful swelling of the leg soon after childbirth, due to thrombosis of the large veins. Its usual cause is infection after labor.
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; Infection
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	Sharp and paroxysmal pain along the course of a sensory nerve.
NOSTALGIA	Homesickness
PALSY	Paralysis or uncontrolled movement of muscles. It was listed as "Cause of death"
PAROXYSM	Convulsion
PEMPHIGUS	Skin disease of watery blisters
PERICARDITIS	Inflammation of heart
PERIPNEUMONIA	Inflammation of lungs
PERITONOTIS	Inflammation of abdominal area
PETECHIAL FEVER	Fever characterized by skin spotting
PHLEGMASIA ALBA DOLENS	Milk Leg
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	PolioPotter's asthma Fibroid pthisis
POTT'S DISEASE	Tuberculosis of spine
PROTEIN DISEASE	Gomerulonephritis; a once-common childhood kidney disease that causes the kidney to leak protein.
PUERPERAL EXHAUSTION	Death due to child birth
PUERPERAL FEVER	Elevated temperature after giving birth to an infant
PUKING FEVER	Milk sickness
PUTRID FEVER	Diphtheria.
PUTRID  SORE  THROAT	Ulceration of an acute form, attacking the tonsils
PYREXIA	Dysentery.
QUINSY	Tonsillitis.
REMITTING FEVER	Malaria
RHEUMATISM	Any disorder associated with pain in joints
RICKETS	Disease of skeletal system
ROSE COLD	Hay fever or nasal symptoms of an allergy
ROTANNY FEVER	(Child's disease) ???
RUBEOLA	German measles
SANGUINEOUS CRUST	Scab
SCARLATINA	Scarlet fever
SCARLET FEVER	A disease characterized by red rash
SCARLET RASH	Roseola
SCIATICA	Rheumatism in the hips
SCIRRHUS	Cancerous tumors
SCOTOMY	Dizziness, nausea and dimness of sight
SCREWS	Rheumatism
SCRIVENER'S PALSY	Writer's cramp
SCROFULA	Tuberculosis of neck lymph glands. Progresses slowly with abscesses and pistulas develop. Young person's disease
SCRUMPOX	Skin disease, impetigo
SCURVY	Lack of vitamin C. Symptoms: weakness, spongy gums and subdural hemorrhages
SEPTICEMIA	Blood poisoning
SHAKES	Delirium tremens
SHAKING	Chills, ague
SHINGLES	Viral disease with skin blisters
SHIP FEVER	Typhus
SIRIASIS	Inflammation of the brain due to sun exposure
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 characterized by 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 involuntarily
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
SUPPURATION	The production of pus.
SWAMP SICKNESS	Could be malaria, typhoid or encephalitis
SWEATING SICKNESS	Infectious and fatal disease common to UK in 15th century
TEETHING	Tooth infections with inflammation and cellulitis were clearly important causes of illness and death, before there was adequate dentistry.
TETANUS	Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache and dizziness
THROMBOSIS	Blood clot inside blood vessel
THRUSH	Childhood disease characterized by spots on mouth, lips and throat
TICK FEVER	Rocky mountain spotted fever
TOXEMIA OF PREGNANCY	Eclampsia.  High blood pressure and seizures.
TRENCH MOUTH	Painful ulcers found along gum line, Caused by poor nutrition and poor hygiene
TUSSIS CONVULSIVA	Whooping cough
TYPHOID  FEVER	An infectious, often-fatal disease, characterized by intestinal inflammation and ulceration. The name came from the disease's similarity to typhus.
TYPHUS	Infectious fever characterized 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, elevated temperature or diarrhea
YELLOW FEVER	An acute, often-fatal, infectious malarial disease of warm climates--caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes
YELLOWJACKET	Yellow fever.
*  Note:  This list is a compilation from many separate sources, all posted on the internet.  None of these postings contained a copyright notification of any sort.  Please feel free to copy and use this list.
Jann Callaghan Cullen	October 25, 2000