Civil War and 19th Century Medical Terminology
Phrase | Meaning |
---|---|
Abcpsia | blindness |
Abscessus | A swollen, inflamed area of the body where pus gathers |
Acuta | Severe |
Aegrotantem | illness, sickness |
Ague | recurring fever and chills of malaria |
Ambustio | A burn or scald |
Anasaica | Generalized edema or generalized dropsy |
Anchylosis | A stiffening of the joints |
Aphonia | A lost of voice due to organic or psychological causes |
Apoplexy | stroke |
Ascites | Accumulation of serous fluid in the abdominal cavity |
Bad Blood | syphilis |
Bilious fever | fever caused by liver disorder |
Black Death | Bubonic plague |
Bloody Flux | dysentery |
Bright’s Disease | kidney disease |
Catarrh | Inflammation of mucous membrane most commonly in the throat and nose, accompanied by an increased secretion mucous, sometimes accompanied by fever, or, rarely cerebral hemorrhage |
Cephalalgia | Headache |
Chilblain | swelling of the extremities caused by exposure to cold |
Chin Cough | Whooping Cough |
Chorea | disease characterized by convulsions and contortions |
Chronic | Continuing for a long period of time |
Colica | Acute abdominal pains, caused by abnormal condition of the bowel |
Communis | ?? |
Congestiva | Excessive accumulation of blood in parts of the body |
Congestive Fever | Malaria |
Conjunctivitis | Inflamation of the eye or eyelid |
Consecutiva | Unrelated illness following another |
Constipatio | Constipation |
Consumption | Tuberculosis |
Continua | Without interruption |
Contusio | A bruise or injury where the skin is not broken |
Cramp Colic | appendicitis |
Cretinism | congenital hypothyroidism |
Crop Sickness | overextended stomach |
Croup | laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat |
Debilitas | Weakness or feebleness |
Debility | Weakness or feebleness |
Delirium Tremens | hallucinations & seizures due to alcohol withdrawal |
Diphtheria | contagious disease of the throat |
Dresser | surgeon’s assistant in a hospital |
Dropsy of the Brain | encephalitis |
Dropsy | edema, congestive heart failure |
Dysentery | Inflammation of intestinal membrane |
Dyspepsia | Acid indigestion |
Encephalitis | swelling of the brain, aka sleeping sickness |
Enteritis | inflammation of the bowels |
Erysipelas | An acute infectious disease of the mucous membranes characterized by the inflamation of the skin, accompanied by a fever. |
Febris | fever |
Flux | discharge of fluid from the body |
Galloping Consumption | Pulmonary Tuberculosis |
Glandular Fever | mononucleosis |
Green Sickness | Anemia |
Gripe | Influenza |
Hemophthis | Spitting of blood |
Hemorrhia | Heavy Bleeding> |
Herpes | An inflammatory virus disease of the skin or mucous membranes |
Incipt Hydrothorax | An abnormal amount of watery fluid in the pleural cavity |
Infantile Paralysis | polio |
Intermitten (intermittent) | Stopping and Starting |
Jail Fever | typhus |
Jaundice | yellowing of the skin due to liver dysfunction (hyperbilirubinemia) |
Lock Jaw | tetanus |
Lumbago | A Back Ache |
Lung Fever | pneumonia |
Lung Sickness | tuberculosis |
Mania | insanity |
Miasma | poisonous vapors thought to infect the air |
Milk Sickness | disease from the milk from cattle which had eaten poisonous weeds |
Morbi Cutis | A skin disease |
Morsal | Gangrene |
Mortis | death |
Myelitis | inflammation of the spine |
Myocarditits | inflammation of the heart muscles |
Necrosis | mortification of bones or tissue, usually skin |
Nephritis | inflammation of the kidneys |
Obit | died |
Ophthalmia | Relating to the Eye(s) |
Otalgia | Earache |
Palsy | paralysis or loss of muscle control |
Paronychia | A painful, pus-producing inflamation at the end of a toe or finger |
Parotitis | Mumps |
Paroxysm | convulsion |
Phlegmon | Inflamation, especially of the connective tissues, leading to ulceration or abscess |
Phthisis Pulmonalis | A wasting away of the body or any part as in tuberculosis |
Pleurisy | Inflammation of the lung |
Pleuritis | Pleurisy |
Podagra | gout |
Pott’s Disease | tuberculosis of the spinal vertebrae |
Pox | Syphilis |
Pulmonalis | Relating to the heart |
Putrid Fever | diptheria or typhus |
Qyotidiana | A fever occurring or returning daily |
Remitten (Remittent) | A fever that drops, but does not altogether disappear |
Rickets | disease of the skeletal system |
Rubeola | Measles |
Scarlet Fever | disease characterized by a red rash and sore |
Scorbutus | Scurvy |
Screws | Rheumatism |
Scrofula | tuberculosis of the neck lymph nodes or lymphatic glands |
Ship’s Fever | Typhus |
Softening of the Brain | apoplexy |
Spotted Fever | typhus, cerebrospinal meningitis fever |
St. Vitus Dance | Nervous twitches, chorea |
Sub-Laxatio | An incomplete dislocation |
Variola | Smallpox |
Varix | Varicose veins |
Venesection | Bleeding |
Viper’s Dance | St. Vitus’ Dance, chorea |
Vulnus Incisum | Relating to a wound caused by a cut |
Vulnus Punctum | Relating to a wound caused by a puncture |
Vulnus Sclopeticum | Relating to a wound caused by a gunshot wound |
Vulnus | Relating to a wound |
Whitlow | See Paronychia |
Winter Fever | pneumonia |
Yellow Jacket (Yellow Jack and General Yellow Jack) | Yellow Fever |
Document created November 3, 1997