CABARRUS COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA


American History & Genealogy Project

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

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