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  Definitions of Some Diseases or Causes of Death

 

Ablepsy - Blindness

Ichor - Leakage of fluid from a sore or wound

Abscess - A localized collection of pus buried in tissues, organs, or confined spaces of the body, often
accompanied by swelling and inflammation and frequently caused by bacteria
Impetigo - Contagious skin disease characterized by pustules
Acute Mania - Severe insanity Impostume - Abscess
Addison's Disease -  a.k.a. bronzed skin disease; characterized by severe weakness, low blood pressure, and a bronzed coloration of the skin Inanition - Physical condition resulting from lack of food
Ague - Malarial Fever; Used to define the recurring fever & chills of malarial infection Infantile Paralysis - Polio
American Plague - Yellow fever

Intermittent Fever - Illness marked by episodes of fever with return to completely normal temperature; usually malaria

Anasarca - Generalized massive edema Intestinal colic - Abdominal pain due to improper diet
Aphonia - Laryngitis Ischaemia - Deficient blood supply to an organ
Aphtha - The infant disease, thrush Jail Fever - Typhus
Apoplexy - Paralysis due to stroke Jaundice - Condition caused by blockage of intestines
Asphycsia/Asphicsia/Asphyxia - Cyanotic and lack of oxygen

Jawfaln - Literally a fallen jaw also referred to as a locked jaw. Possibly tetanus

Atrophy - Wasting away or diminishing in size. Kakke - Beriberi
Bad Blood - Syphilis King's Evil - Tuberculosis of neck and lymph glands; also sometimes syphilis
Bilious Fever - Typhoid, malaria, hepatitis or elevated temperature and bile emesis Kink - Fit of coughing or choking
Biliousness - Jaundice associated with liver disease; may also have been any upset leading to vomiting bile or just vomiting Kruchhusten - Whooping cough
Black Plague or Black Death - Bubonic plague Lagrippe - Flu; influenza
Black Fever - Acute infection with high temperature and dark red skin lesions and high mortality rate

Leprosy - A chronic bacterial disease affecting mainly skin and nerves. Without treatment the result was progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.

Black Jaundice - Wiel's Disease; Black Water fever (deadly form of malaria)

Lientery - Diarrhea in which the feces contained undigested food.

Black Pox - Black Small pox Livergrown - Rickets
Black Vomit - Vomiting old black blood due to ulcers or yellow fever. Lockjaw - Tetanus or infectious disease affecting the muscles of the neck and jaw. Untreated, it is fatal in 8 days
Blackwater Fever - Dark urine associated with high temperature (deadly form of malaria) Locomotor Ataxia - Disease of the nervous system which results in inability to walk
Bladder in Throat - Diphtheria  Long Sickness - Tuberculosis
Blood Poisoning - Bacterial infection, septicemia Lues Disease - Syphilis
Bloody Flux - Bloody stools Lues Venera - - Venereal disease; syphilis
Bloody Sweat - Sweating sickness Lumbago - Back pain
Bone Shave - Sciatica Lung Fever - Pneumonia
Brain Fever - Meningitis Lung Sickness - Tuberculosis
Breakbone - Dengue fever Lying In - Time of delivery of infant
Bright's Disease - Chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys Malignant Sore Throat - Diphtheria
Bronze John - Yellow fever Mania - Insanity
BRUCELLOSIS - Streptococcus infection resulting from drinking contaminated milk. Causes a feverish illness of variable duration often with joint problems and frequently depression. See Milk Fever. Marasmus - Progressive wasting away of body, like malnutrition
Bule - Boil, tumor or swelling Membranous Croup - Diphtheria
Cachexy - Malnutrition Meningitis - Inflation of brain or spinal cord
Cacogastric - Upset stomach Meteorism - Flatulent distension of the abdomen with gas in the gut
Cacospysy - Irregular pulse Metritis - Inflammation of uterus or purulent vaginal discharge
Caduceus - Subject to falling sickness or epilepsy Miasma - Poisonous vapors thought to infect the air
Camp fever - Typhus, aka camp diarrhea Milk Fever - Disease from drinking contaminated milk, like undulant fever or brucellosis
Canine Madness - Rabies, hydrophobia Milk Leg - Phlebitis; post partum thrombophlebitis; a painful swelling of the leg soon after childbirth, due to thrombosis of the large veins; its usual cause is infection after labor.  Also see Phlegmasia Alba Dolens
Canker - Ulceration of mouth or lips or herpes simplex Milk sickness - Disease from milk of cattle that had eaten poisonous weeds
Catalepsy - Seizures/trances Morbus Cordis - Heart disease. A catch-all phrase for death by natural causes when the exact cause was not evident.
Catarrhal - Nose and throat discharge from cold or allergy Mormal - Gangrene
Cerebritis - Inflammation of cerebrum or lead poisoning Morphew - Scurvy blisters on the body
Chilblain - Swelling of extremities caused by exposure to cold Mortification - Gangrene of necrotic tissue; infection
Child Bed Fever - Infection following birth of a child Myelitis - Inflammation of the spine
Chin Cough - Whooping cough Myocarditis - Inflammation of heart muscles
Chlorosis - Iron deficiency anemia Necrosis - Mortification of bones or tissue
Cholecystitus - Inflammation of the gall bladder Nephrosis - Kidney degeneration
Cholelithiasis - Gall stones Nepritis - Inflammation of kidneys
Cholera - Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing Nervous Prostration - Extreme exhaustion from inability to control physical and mental activities
Cholera Morbus - Characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc. Could be appendicitis Neuralgia - Described as discomfort, such as 'headache' was neuralgia in head
Chorea - Disease characterized by convulsions, contortions and dancing Nostalgia - Homesickness
Cold Plague - Ague characterized by chills, convulsions, contortions and dancing Palsy - Paralysis or uncontrolled movement of controlled muscles.  It was listed as "cause of death"
Colic - An abdominal pain and cramping Paroxysm - Convulsion
Commotion - Concussion Pemphigus - Skin disease of watery blisters
CONGESTION - Any collection of fluid in an organ, particularly in the lungs Pericarditis - Inflammation of heart
Congestive Chills - Malaria with diarrhea Peripneumonia - Inflammation of lungs
Congestive Fever - Malaria Peritonotis - Inflammation of abdominal area
Consumption - Tuberculosis; wasting sickness Petechial Fever - Fever characterized by skin spotting
Corruption - Infection Phlegmasia Alba Dolens - a.k.a. Milk Leg - Painful thrombosis of the femoral vein in the leg following childbirth
Coryza - A cold Phthiriasis - Lice infestation
Costiveness - Constipation Phthisis - Chronic wasting away or a name for tuberculosis
Cramp Colic - Appendicitis Plague - An acute febrile highly infectious disease with a high fatality rate
Crop Sickness - Overextended stomach Pleurisy - Any pain in the chest area with each breath
Croup - Laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat Podagra - Gout
Cyanosis - Dark skin color from lack of oxygen in blood Poliomyelitis - a.k.a. Polio Potter's asthma - Fibroid pthisis
Cynanche - Diseases of throat Pott's Disease - Tuberculosis of spine
Cystitis - Inflammation of the bladder PROTEIN DISEASE - Gomerulonephritis; a once relatively common childhood kidney disease that causes the kidney to leak protein. This is a secondary (allergic) reaction to certain kinds of strep infections
Day Fever - Fever lasting one day, sweating sickness Puerperal Exhaustion - Death due to childbirth
Debility - Lack of movement or staying in bed Puerperal Fever - Elevated temperature after giving birth to an infant
Decrepitude - Feebleness due to old age Puking Fever - Milk sickness
Delirium Tremens - Hallucinations due to alcoholism Putrid Fever - Diphtheria
Dengue - Infectious fever endemic to East Africa Quinsy - Tonsillitis
Dentition - Cutting of teeth Remitting Fever - Malaria
Deplumation - Tumor of the eyelids which causes of eye lashes Rheumatism - Any disorder associated with pain in joints
Diary Fever - A fever that lasts one day Rickets - Disease of skeletal system
Diptheria - Contagious disease of the throat Rose Cold - Hay fever or nasal symptoms of an allergy
Distemper - Usually animal disease with malaise, discharge from nose and throat, anorexia Rotanny Fever - Child's disease
Dock Fever - Yellow fever Rubeola - German measles
Dropsy - Edema (swelling), often caused by kidney or heart disease Sanguineous crust - Scab
Dropsy of the Brain - Encephalitis Scarlatina - Scarlet fever
Dry Bellyache - Lead poisoning Scarlet Fever - A disease characterized by red rash
Dyscrasy - An abnormal body condition Scarlet Rash - Roseola
Dysentery - Inflammation of colon with frequent passage of mucous and blood Sciatica - Rheumatism in the hips
Dysorexy - Reduced appetite Scirrhus - Cancerous tumors
Dyspepsia - Indigestion and heartburn; heart attack symptoms Scotomy - Dizziness, nausea and dimness of sight
Dysury - Difficulty in urination Screws - Rheumatism
Eclampsy - Symptoms of epilepsy, convulsions during labor Scrivener's Palsy - Writer's cramp
Ecstasy - A form of catalepsy characterized by loss of reason Scrofula - Tuberculosis of neck lymph glands. Progresses slowly with abscesses and pistulas develop. Young person's disease.
Edema - Nephrosis, swelling of tissues Scrumpox - Skin disease, impetigo
Edema of Lungs - Congestive heart failure, a form of dropsy Scurvy - Lack of vitamin C. Symptoms of weakness, spongy gums and hemorrhages under skin
Eel Thing - Erysipelas Septicemia - Blood poisoning
Elephantiasis - A form of leprosy Shakes - Delirium tremors
Encephalitis - Swelling of brain, aka sleeping sickness Shaking - chills, ague
Enteric Fever - Typhoid fever Shingles - Viral disease with skin blisters
Enteritis - Inflation of the bowels Ship Fever - Typhus
Enterocolitis - Inflammation of the intestines Siriasis - Inflammation of the brain due to sun exposure
Epitaxis - Nose bleed Sloes - Milk sickness
Erysipelas - An acute and contagious streptococcal infection of the skin characterized by a spreading, deep-red inflammation with vesicular and bulbous lesions. Small Pox - Contagious disease with fever and blisters
Extravasted Blood - Rupture of a blood vessel Softening of Brain - Result of stroke or hemorrhage in the brain, with an end result of the tissue softening in that area
Falling Sickness - Epilepsy Sore Throat Distemper - Diphtheria or quinsy
Fatty Liver - - Cirrhosis of liver Spanish Influenza - Epidemic influenza
Fits - Sudden attack or seizure of muscle activity Spasms - Sudden involuntary contraction of muscle or group of muscles, like a convulsion
Flux - An excessive flow or discharge of fluid like hemorrhage or diarrhea Spina Bifida - Deformity of spine
Flux of Humour - Circulation Spotted Fever - Either typhus or meningitis
French Pox - Syphilis Sprue - Tropical disease characterized by intestinal disorders and sore throat
Gathering - A collection of pus St. Anthony's Fire - Also erysipelas, but named so because of affected skin areas are bright red in appearance
Glandular Fever - Mononucleosis St. Vitus Dance - Ceaseless occurrence of rapid complex jerking movements performed involuntary
Gomerulonephritis - a once relatively common childhood kidney disease that causes the kidney to leak protein. This is a secondary (allergic) reaction to certain kinds of strep infections Stomatitis - Inflammation of the mouth
GOUT - an inflammation usually of an extremity Stranger's Fever - Yellow fever
Great pox - Syphilis Strangery - Rupture
Green Fever - Anemia Sudor Anglicus - Sweating sickness
Grippe/Grip - Influenza like symptoms Summer Complaint - Diarrhea, usually in infants caused by spoiled milk
Grocer's Itch - Skin disease caused by mites in sugar or flour Sunstroke - Uncontrolled elevation of body temperature due to environment heat. Lack of sodium in the body is a predisposing cause
Hallucination - Delirium Swamp Sickness - Could be malaria, typhoid or encephalitis
Heart Sickness - Condition caused by loss of salt from body Sweating Sickness - Infectious and fatal disease common to England in the 15th century
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 Teething - tooth infections with inflammation
Hectical Complaint - Recurrent fever Tetanus - Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache and dizziness
Hematemesis - Vomiting blood Thrombosis - Blood clot inside blood vessel
Hematuria - Bloody urine Thrush - Childhood disease characterized by spots on mouth, lips and throat
Hemiplegy - Paralysis of one side of body Tick Fever - Rocky mountain spotted fever
Hip Gout - Osteomyelitis; a staph infection Toxemia of Pregnancy - Eclampsia
Horrors - Delirium tremors Trench Mouth - Painful ulcers found along gum line, caused by poor nutrition and poor hygiene
Hydrocephalus - Enlarged head, water on the brain Tussis Convulsiva - Whooping cough
Hydropericardium - Heart dropsy Typhus - Infectious fever characterized high fever, headache, and dizziness
Hydrophobia - Rabies Variola - Smallpox
Hydrothorax - Dropsy in chest Venesection - Bleeding
Hypertrophic - Enlargement of organ, like the heart Viper's Dance - St. Vitus Dance
  Wasting Sickness - Tuberculosis
  Water on Brain - Enlarged head from hydrocephalus
  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
  Yellowjacket - Yellow fever