DICTIONARIES: OLD MEDICAL TERMS
P
Palsy: paralysis or uncontrolled movement of controlled muscles
Paroxysm: convulsion
Pemphigus: skin disease of watery blisters
Pericarditis: inflamation of the heart
Peripneumonia: inflamation of the lungs
Peritonotis: inflamation of abdominal area
Petechial Fever: fever characterized by skin spotting; puerperal exhaustion; death due to childbirth
Phthiriasis: lice infestation
Phthisis: chronic wasting away or a name for tuberculosis
Plague: 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: fibroid phthisis
Pott's Disease: tuberculosis of spine
Puerperal Exhaustion: death due to childbirth
Puerperal Fever: elevated temperature after giving birth
Puking Fever: milk sickness
Putrid Fever: diphtheria
Q
Quincy: tonsillitis
R
Remitting Fever: malaria
Rheumatism: any disorder associated with pain in joints
Rickets: disease of skeleton system
Rose Cold: hay fever or nasal symptoms of an allergy
Rubeola: German measles
S
Sanguineous Crust: scab
Scarlatina: scarlet fever
Scarlet Fever: disease characterized by 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 absesses and fistulas develop; young person's disease
Scrumpox: skin disease, impetigo
Scurvy: lack of vitamin C; symptoms of weakness, spongy gums and hemorrhages under skin
Septicemia: blood poisoning
Shakes: delirium tremens
Shaking: chills, ague
Shingles: viral disease with skin blisters
Ship Fever: typhus
Siriasis: inflamation 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: typhus or meningitis
Sprue: tropical disease characterized by intestinal disorders and sore throat
St. Anthony's Fire: erysipelas, 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: inflamation 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 environmental heat; lack of sodium in the body is a predisposing cause
Swamp Sickness: malaria, typhoid, or encephalitis
Sweating Sickness: infectious and fatal disease common in England during the 15th century
Source: Provided by Dan Burrows