scrofula | disease | Britannica.com Scrofula Pott disease Scrofula, formerly tuberculosis, the terms “scrofulous,” “strumous,” and “tuberculous” being nearly interchangeable in the past, before the real nature of the disease was understood. The particular characteristics associated with scrofula have varied at different periods, but essentially what was meant was tuberculosis of the bones and lymphatic glands, especially in children. It is in this sense that the word survives. The old English popular name was “king’s evil,” so called from the belief that the sovereign’s touch could effect a cure. See also tuberculosis . Learn More in these related articles: tuberculosis (TB) infectious disease that is caused by the tubercle bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In most forms of the disease, the bacillus spreads slowly and widely in the lungs, causing the formation of hard nodules (tubercles) or large cheeselike masses that break down the respiratory tissues and form... in history of Europe: Health and sickness ...common cause of blindness in children. Women, hapless victims of male-dominated morality, were frequently denied the chance of early mercury treatment because of the stigma attached to the disease.

Scrofula, a gangrenous tubercular condition of the lymph glands, was known as “the king’s evil” because it was thought to be curable by the king’s touch: Louis XIV practiced the ceremony... 1 Reference found in Britannica Articles Assorted Reference Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions.

Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: July 20, 1998 URL: Access Date: December 19, 2016 Share Scrofula: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Surgery is sometimes used first. It may also be used if the medicines are not working. Outlook (Prognosis) With treatment, people usually make a complete recovery. Possible Complications These complications may occur from this infection: Draining sore in the neck Scarring When to Contact a Medical Professional Call your health care provider if you or your child has a swelling or group of swellings in the neck. Scrofula can occur in children who have not been exposed to someone with tuberculosis. Prevention People who have been exposed to someone with tuberculosis of the lungs should have a PPD test. Alternative Names Tuberculous adenitis References Ellner JJ. Tuberculosis.

In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 332. Fitzgerald DW, Sterling TR, Haas DW. Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2014:chap 251. Read More Pulmonary tuberculosis Review Date 12/7/2014 Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Related MedlinePlus Health Topics scrofula - definition and meaning scrofula Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition n.

A form of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes, especially of the neck, that is most common in children and is usually spread by unpasteurized milk from infected cows. Also called struma. from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License n. A form of tuberculosis, most common in children, tending to cause enlarged and degenerated lymph glands, especially in the neck, and often chronic, intractable skin inflammation as well. from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English n. A constitutional disease, generally hereditary, especially manifested by chronic enlargement and cheesy degeneration of the lymphatic glands, particularly those of the neck, and marked by a tendency to the development of chronic intractable inflammations of the skin, mucous membrane, bones, joints, and other parts, and by a diminution in the power of resistance to disease or injury and the capacity for recovery. Scrofula is now generally held to be tuberculous in character, and may develop into general or local tuberculosis (consumption). from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia n.

A constitutional disorder, especially in the young, expressing itself in lymphadenitis, especially glandular swellings in the neck, with a tendency to cheesy degeneration, inflammations of various joints, mucous membranes, and other structures, together with other less distinct indications of feeble health. from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. n. a form of tuberculosis characterized by swellings of the lymphatic glands Etymologies from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition Middle English scrophula, from Late Latin scrōfulae, swelling of the glands, diminutive of Latin scrōfa, sow; see sker-1 in Indo-European roots. from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License Latin diminutive of scrofa: a breeding sow, because swine were supposed to be subject to the complaint; or by fanciful comparison of the glandular swellings to little pigs. Examples Her children have diseases of the eyes, skin, glands and bones, and the doctor will apply the term scrofula, when the result is nothing more or less than inherited syphilis.

Scrofula | definition of scrofula by Medical dictionary Scrofula | definition of scrofula by Medical dictionary lymphadenitis [lim″fad-ĕ-ni´tis] inflammation of one or more lymph nodes , usually caused by a primary focus of infection elsewhere in the body. cervical lymphadenitis cervical adenitis . cervical lymphadenitis, tuberculous tuberculosis of the cervical lymph nodes, formerly called scrofula . Called also tuberculous cervical adenitis . tuberculous lymphadenitis tuberculosis of lymph nodes, usually either cervical (tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis) or mediastinal. See also scrofuloderma . scrof·u·la Historic term for cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis. [L. scrofulae (pl. only), a glandular swelling, scrofula, fr. scrofa, a breeding sow] scrofula /scrof·u·la/ (skrof´u-lah) old name for tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis. scrofula (skrŏf′yə-lə) n.

A form of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes, especially of the neck, that is most common in children and is usually spread by unpasteurized milk from infected cows. Also called struma. scrofula Etymology: L, scrofa, brood sow archaic. a form of tuberculosis cutis with abscess formation, usually of the cervical lymph nodes. Scrofula Medical history Infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the ‘robber of youth’ Substance abuse A popular term for the epidemic of cocaine abuse scrofula Bovine TUBERCULOSIS of the lymph nodes of the neck, with or without breakdown of the skin. Milk pasteurization and herd control have reduced this once common condition to a negligible incidence in developed countries. scrofula (skrof´ūlə), n. a primary tuberculosis complex occurring in the orocervical region and consisting of tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy and tuberculosis of adjacent skin (lupus vulgaris), with chronic draining sinuses below the angle of the jaw and cervical region.

Scrofula: Overview of Scrofula, Pathophysiology of Scrofula, Epidemiology of Scrofula Pathophysiology of Scrofula Overview of Scrofula Overview of Scrofula Tuberculosis (TB) is the oldest documented infectious disease. In the United States, pulmonary tuberculosis accounts for most tuberculosis cases. Scrofula is the Latin word for brood sow, and it is the term applied to tuberculosis of the neck. Cervical tuberculosis is usually a result of an infection in the lymph nodes, known as lymphadenitis. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis, such as scrofula, is observed most often in individuals who are immunocompromised, accounting for up to 50% of these cervical infections. Scrofula has been known to afflict people since antiquity, and during the Middle Ages, the king's touch was thought to be curative. In modern times, surgery has played a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of scrofula. Over the past several decades, however, surgical intervention has played a decreasing role because it has been fraught with persistent disease and complications.

As in pulmonary tuberculosis, antituberculous chemotherapy has become the standard of care for scrofula, and newer diagnostic techniques (eg, fine-needle aspiration) have replaced more invasive methods of tissue harvesting. Today, approximately 95% of mycobacterial cervical infections in adults are caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the remainder are caused by atypical mycobacterium, or nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM). In children, this trend is reversed, with 92% of cases due to atypical mycobacterium. NTM was first recognized as a cause of cervical adenitis in 1956. More than 50 species have now been identified, of which one half are recognized as pathogenic. Statistics indicate an increase in the prevalence and isolation of cervical lymphadenitis caused by NTM, far outnumbering tuberculosis as the cause of chronic cervical adenitis in children. The distinction has both diagnostic as well as therapeutic implications. Historically, scrofula was a term used to describe tuberculosis adenitis; however, NTM adenitis is included in the following text for completeness.

Next: Pathophysiology of Scrofula Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an obligate aerobe, non–spore-forming, slender rod. Humans are its only reservoir. Transmission is from person to person via respiratory route by inhalation of small aerosols. After a short period of replication in the lungs, silent dissemination occurs through the lymphohematogenous system to extrapulmonary sites, including the cervical lymph nodes. A study by Bruzgielewicz et al of patients with head and neck tuberculosis found that among the 26 patients with lymph node tuberculosis, 15 patients had infected lymph nodes of the second and third cervical regions and 11 had infected lymph nodes of the first cervical region. [ 1 ] Nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) differs from M tuberculosis in 2 respects: person-to-person transmission generally does not occur, and NTM species are ubiquitous in nature and not necessarily pathogenic or equated with disease. The oral cavity may serve as a common portal of entry because the disease primarily occurs in children who have a propensity to put contaminated objects in their mouth.

Previous Next: Epidemiology of Scrofula Lymphadenitis is the primary manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) in 5% of the immunocompetent population, with the cervical lymph nodes providing the site of infection in two thirds of cases. In people with human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ), cervical lymphadenitis may represent one third of the total presentations. Since 1985, the first increase in incidence since 1882 has occurred in the United States because of increased immigration from endemic countries, rising population of those infected with HIV , worsening urban social conditions, and abandonment of rigid tuberculosis (TB) control programs. Currently 2-10% of mycobacterial infections in the United States are due to other nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). In impoverished countries where tuberculosis is endemic, TB continues to be a major health concern. The mortality for TB approaches 20% with multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. Statistics are not available for isolated cervical lymphadenitis. Recent statistics for NTM indicate an increase in prevalence and isolation of cervical lymphadenopathy caused by NTM. Because NTM is not generally reportable, the true incidence is difficult to determine.

Incidence of TB is increased in indigent, Asian, Hispanic immigrant, Native American, and Eskimo populations. People of all races are affected with NTM, with a white predominance. For TB, the female-to-male ratio of is 2:1, and it affects people of all ages . For NTM, the female-to-male ratio is 1.3:1, but NTM affects children aged 1-5 years. Previous Clinical Manifestations of Scrofula Mycobacterium tuberculosis Patients report a painless, enlarging, or persistent mass. Systemic symptoms include fever/chills, weight loss, or malaise in 43% of patients. Physical manifestations of M tuberculosis infection include the following: Any cervical node, although anterior cervical chain is more common Firm rubbery node becoming more firm and matted as disease progresses Infrequently, fluctuant with draining fistula Multiple masses in two thirds of patients Bilateral nodes in one third of patients Nontuberculous mycobacterium Next: Laboratory Studies No specific laboratory tests are recommended for scrofula; however, the workup for a neck mass may include cat-scratch titers, CBC count, and HIV testing.

Previous Imaging Studies CT scanning or MRI Although both modalities can accurately depict sites, pattern, and extent of disease, they have limitations and findings are nonspecific. [ 2 ] Tuberculosis-infected nodes are frequently mistaken for metastatic carcinoma. Chest radiography For tuberculosis, despite the fact that cervical adenitis is usually secondary to a bronchopulmonary infection, review of the literature shows the rate of positive findings to be disappointingly low, averaging from 10 to 24% in patients with scrofula. For nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM), findings are normal. Ultrasonography A study by Moon et al indicated that ultrasonography can be used to diagnose tuberculous lymph nodes of the neck in regions of the world where tuberculosis is endemic. The study involved 476 patients, including 69 with confirmed tuberculous lymph nodes and the rest with neck lymph nodes that were nontuberculous benign or malignant.

With regard to the tuberculous nodes, the investigators reported that ultrasonography had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 90.9%, 96.4%, 81.1%, 98.4%, and 95.6%, respectively. [ 3 ] Previous Other Tests and Procedures for Scrofula Purified protein derivative For tuberculosis, skin testing with partial purified protein derivative (PPD) has been fairly reliable. Generally, more than 85% of patients have a positive test of greater than 10 mm of induration. PPD should be the first line of investigation in the workup of a patient with a neck mass. Usefulness is diminished in individuals who have immunosuppression secondary to anergy. For nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM), response is variable. Known cross-reactivity to standard PPD exists, and induration typically is less than 10 mm. Skin-test antigens for various NTM are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. However, they are not commonly used secondary to lack of standardization, difficulty in interpretation, and ubiquity of organisms.

Fine-needle aspiration Fine-needle aspiration is a useful initial procedure with a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 93%. The positive predictive value approaches 100%. The most reliable criteria for diagnosing infection are the presence of stainable acid-fast bacilli and cultured organisms on aspirate. Granuloma formation is highly suggestive but not definitive. Cultures take 4-6 weeks for growth; however, the newer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques are promising. [ 4 ] Regarding excisional or incisional biopsies, for tuberculosis, biopsies are potentially hazardous because they may spread the disease and give rise to sinus formation. For NTM, excisional biopsy has both diagnostic as well as therapeutic efficacy. Previous Next: Histologic Findings for Scrofula Mycobacterium tuberculosis is referred to as an acid-fast bacillus secondary to its resistance to destaining by acid-alcohol treatment. The Ziehl-Neelsen technique demonstrates an obligate aerobe, a nonmotile, slender, slightly beaded, and bent rod. The presence of caseating granulomas may be observed.

Definitive diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) is based on objective identification of the organism by culture. NTM is characterized by specific growth characteristics and the ability to form pigments on culture. [ 5 ] Features claimed to be more representative of NTM lymphadenitis are the following: Ill-defined or nonpalisading granulomas An irregular or serpiginous character of the granuloma A nonspecific granulomatous response with ill-defined aggregates of epithelial lymphocytes Minimal or no caseous necrosis Few giant cells Variable-sized granulomas in different stages of evolution Basophilic nuclear debris in the center of necrotic granulomas. However, the subjectivity of histopathologic interpretation of the above findings does not allow for conclusive diagnosis. Positive cultures are reported in most studies to be extremely difficult to obtain and are not necessary for diagnosis if other indicators are present, including age and presentation consistent with NTM, normal findings on chest radiograph, and weakly positive or negative PPD. Previous Treatment of Scrofula Medical care In general, Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is not considered a localized disease; therefore, systemic chemotherapy should be instituted.

Medical treatment alone is the standard treatment for scrofula. Antibiotic regimens effective for pulmonary infection can be applied to tuberculous lymphadenitis. Several options exist, including daily, twice-weekly, and thrice-weekly administration. The most common regimen consists of a 4-drug empiric treatment of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. After sensitivities return, continue 2 drugs for a total of 6 months. Antituberculous therapy alone has substantial drawbacks in the treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) secondary to the lack of in vitro susceptibility. Reports of the clinical efficacy of clarithromycin in patients with AIDS and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI) complex have prompted its use in NTM lymphadenitis. The use is primarily based on anecdotal evidence, and clinical efficacy in the literature is sparse. The low incidence of NTM lymphadenitis has precluded controlled trials. Starke recommends chemotherapy when the family refuses surgery, a recurrence after surgery occurs, or the surgeon can excise only a particular amount of abnormal tissue.

[ 6 ] The optimal treatment regimen is unknown. [ 7 ] Luong and McClay showed that over 50% of nontuberculous mycobacteria can respond to medical therapy, often times with clarithromycin (Biaxin) alone. [ 8 ] If a 2-month trial of treatment shows no benefit, then surgical intervention should be considered. Surgical care of M tuberculosis Surgery alone has had disappointing results and is plagued by a high rate of recurrence and fistulizations. Surgery is reserved for establishing the diagnosis, advanced local disease, persistent disease, or draining fistula. Failure to provide adequate chemotherapy at the time of surgery may lead to postoperative fistulas and hematogenous spread. Surgical care of nontuberculous mycobacterium Traditionally, surgical intervention ranging from simple aspiration to complete excision is the treatment of choice. Uniformly, simple incision and drainage is not recommended because of the high rate of fistulization and recurrence. Complete surgical excision is preferred; however, this procedure is not without risks, including injury to the facial nerve and scar formation with unacceptable cosmesis.

If complete excision is attempted, removing all regional lymph nodes is not necessary because satellite nodes do not appear to be associated with recurrent disease. In order to circumvent complete excision and risking injury to facial nerve or poor cosmesis, 2 alternatives are available. Alessi et al reported a series of 9 patients who underwent aspiration alone, all of whom had complete resolution. [ 5 ] Kennedy et al also described a series of 9 children who underwent curettage; [ 9 ] no complications occurred, all healed without scarring, and no recurrence was documented with a follow-up of 6-20 months. In conclusion, complete excision of the offending nodes is the treatment of choice. However, when large areas of skin must be resected or the facial nerve is at risk, curettage or repeated needle aspiration serve as 2 efficacious alternatives. Consultations Author Michael R Lewis, MD ENT Associates of East Texas Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. Coauthor(s) John E McClay, MD Associate Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Children's Hospital of Dallas, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference Disclosure: Received salary from Medscape for employment. for: Medscape. Peter S Roland, MD Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, Professor and Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Director, Clinical Center for Auditory, Vestibular, and Facial Nerve Disorders, Chief of Pediatric Otology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Chief of Pediatric Otology, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas; President of Medical Staff, Parkland Memorial Hospital; Adjunct Professor of Communicative Disorders, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Chief of Medical Service, Callier Center for Communicative Disorders, University of Texas School of Human Development Disclosure: Received honoraria from Alcon Labs for consulting; Received honoraria from Advanced Bionics for board membership; Received honoraria from Cochlear Corp for board membership; Received travel grants from Med El Corp for consulting.

Chief Editor Arlen D Meyers, MD, MBA Professor of Otolaryngology, Dentistry, and Engineering, University of Colorado School of Medicine Arlen D Meyers, MD, MBA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery , American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , American Head and Neck Society Disclosure: Serve(d) as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant or trustee for: Cerescan;RxRevu;SymbiaAllergySolutions<br/>Received income in an amount equal to or greater than $250 from: Symbia<br/>Received from Allergy Solutions, Inc for board membership; Received honoraria from RxRevu for chief medical editor; Received salary from Medvoy for founder and president; Received consulting fee from Corvectra for senior medical advisor; Received ownership interest from Cerescan for consulting; Received consulting fee from Essiahealth for advisor; Received consulting fee from Carespan for advisor; Received consulting fee from Covidien for consulting.

Additional Contributors Lanny Garth Close, MD Chair, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Scrofula | Define Scrofula at Dictionary.com scrofula primary tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, especially those of the neck. Origin of scrofula Latin 1350-1400 1350-1400; Middle English (plural) < Late Latin scrōfulae (Latin scrōf(a) sow + -ulae (plural) -ule ), from the belief that breeding sows were susceptible Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for scrofula Expand Searchlights on Health: Light on Dark Corners B.G. Jefferis The Tartars and Egyptians still employ baths of this description in hypochondriasis, scrofula, and scurvy. How to Succeed Orison Swett Marden He believes that his dried serum will prove a valuable nutrient in consumption, scrofula, diabetes, and loss of flesh.

Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa David Livingstone It is caused by a debilitated condition of the nervous system, as well as by brain disease, scrofula, imprudent diet and worms. British Dictionary definitions for scrofula Expand noun 1. (pathol) (no longer in technical use) tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands Also called (formerly) the king's evil Word Origin C14: from Medieval Latin, from Late Latin scrōfulae swollen glands in the neck, literally: little sows (sows were thought to be particularly prone to the disease), from Latin scrōfa sow Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for scrofula Expand n.

c.1400, scrophulas (plural) from Late Latin scrofulæ (plural) "swelling of the glands of the neck," literally "little pigs," from Latin scrofa "breeding sow" (see screw (n.)). The connection may be because the glands associated with the disease resemble the body of a sow or some part of it, or because pigs were thought to be prone to it. Cf. Greek khoirades (plural) "scrofula," related to khoiros "young pig." Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Old Names of Diseases Search billions of records on Ancestry.com Old Names of Diseases This is a partial listing of older names of sicknesses and diseases. Hope it helps somewhat. I'm by no means an expert on these so please let me know if you see anything that needs correcting. Ablepsy - Blindness Aphtha - The infant disease "thrush" Apoplexy - Paralysis due to stroke Asphycsia/Asphicsia - Cyanotic and lack of oxygen Atrophy - Wasting away or diminishing in size.

Bad Blood - Syphilis Bilious fever - Typhoid, malaria, hepatitis or elevated temperature and bile emesis Biliousness - Jaundice associated with liver disease Black plague or death - Bubonic plague Black fever - Acute infection with high temperature and dark red skin lesions and high mortality rate Black pox - Black Small pox Black vomit - Vomiting old black blood due to ulcers or yellow fever Blackwater fever - Dark urine associated with high temperature Bladder in throat - Diphtheria (Seen on death certificates) Blood poisoning - Bacterial infection; septicemia Bloody flux - Bloody stools Bright's disease - Chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys Bronze John - Yellow fever Bule - Boil, tumor or swelling Cachexy - Malnutrition Caduceus - Subject to falling sickness or epilepsy Camp fever - Typhus; aka Camp diarrhea Canine madness - Rabies, hydrophobia Canker - Ulceration of mouth or lips or herpes simplex Catalepsy - Seizures / trances Catarrhal - Nose and throat discharge from cold or allergy 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 Cholera - Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing Cholera morbus - Characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc.

Could be appendicitis Cholecystitus - Inflammation of the gall bladder Cholelithiasis - Gall stones Chorea - Disease characterized by convulsions, contortions and dancing Cold plague - Ague which is characterized by chills Colic - An abdominal pain and cramping Congestive chills - Malaria Congestion - Any collection of fluid in an organ, like the lungs Congestive chills - Malaria with diarrhea Congestive fever - Malaria Croup - Laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat 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 - Lack of movement or staying in bed 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 - Contagious disease of the throat Distemper - Usually animal disease with malaise, discharge from nose and

 throat, anorexia Dock fever - Yellow fever 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 Eclampsy - Symptoms of epilepsy, convulsions during labor 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 Elephantiasis - A form of leprosy Encephalitis - Swelling of brain; aka sleeping sickness Enteric fever - Typhoid fever Enterocolitis - Inflammation of the intestines Enteritis - Inflations of the bowels Epitaxis - Nose bleed Erysipelas - Contagious skin disease, due to Streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions 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 Gathering - A collection of pus Glandular fever - Mononucleosis Lying in - Time of delivery of infant Malignant sore throat - Diphtheria Marasmus - Progressive wasting away of body, like

 malnutrition 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 - Post partum thrombophlebitis 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 Myelitis - Inflammation of the spine Myocarditis - Inflammation of heart muscles Necrosis - Mortification of bones or tissue Nephrosis - Kidney degeneration Nervous prostration - Extreme exhaustion from inability to control physical and mental activities Neuralgia - Described as discomfort, such as "Headache" was neuralgia in head Nostalgia - Homesickness Palsy - Paralysis or uncontrolled movement of controlled muscles.

It was listed as "Cause of death" Paroxysm - Convulsion Pemphigus - Skin disease of watery blisters Pericarditis - Inflammation of heart Peritonotis - Inflammation of abdominal area Petechial Fever - Fever characterized by skin spotting Puerperal exhaustion - Death due to child birth 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 Puerperal exhaustion - Death due to childbirth Puerperal fever - Elevated temperature after giving birth to an infant Puking fever - Milk sickness 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 Scrivener's palsy - Writer's cramp Screws - Rheumatism 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 of weakness, spongy gums and hemmoraging under skin. 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 involuntary Stomatitis - Inflammation of the mouth Stranger's fever - Yellow fever 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 Swamp sickness - Could be malaria, typhoid or encephalitis Sweating sickness - Infectious and fatal disease common to UK in 15th century 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 Trench mouth - Painful ulcers found along gum line, Caused by poor nutrition and poor hygiene Tussis convulsiva - Whooping cough Typhus - Infectious fever characterized high fever, headache, and dizziness Variola - Smallpox 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 Yellowjacket - Yellow fever. Old Disease Names By Sylvain Cazalet �sculapius: The Roman god of healing. Ague: Usually malaria but can be any feverish illness with fits of shivering. Ainhum: Stricture resulting from minor cuts at the base of a digit eventually resulting in amputation. Aleppo Boil: Leishmaniasis. Albuminuria: Presence of protein in the urine. Found in many kidney diseases e.g. Diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephropathy, glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome. Amaurosis: Blindness (partial or complete). Amenorrhoea: Absence of menstruation. Usually applied to the reproductive years, so the usual cause is pregnancy. American plague: Yellow fever. Anasarca: Generalized massive edema. Generalised massive dropsy. Ancome: A whitlow, an ulcerous swelling.

Aneurysm: A local ballooning of a blood vessel. Usually an artery. Angina: Literally means choking. Often used for angina pectoris i.e. pain from the heart. Anthracosis: Lung disease caused by inhalation of coal dust. A form of pneumoconiosis. Aphonia: Laryngitis. Aphtha: The infant disease "thrush". Apoplex / Apoplexy: Paralysis due to stroke. Ascites: Dropsy. Abnormal collection of fluid within the abdomen. Often due to liver disease, especially secondary cancer, but can result from heart or kidney failure. Asphycsia/Asphicsia: Cyanotic and lack of oxygen. Ataxia: Inability to co-ordinate movement i.e. Clumsiness. Atheroma: Slow degeneration of arteries when fatty deposits collect on the inner lining. Atrophy: Wasting away or diminishing in size. Bad Blood: Syphilis. Barber's Itch: Infection of the hair follicles of the beard area. May be impetigo. Bilious fever: A term loosely applied to intestinal fevers and malarial fever.

Typhoid, malaria, hepatitis or elevated temperature and bile emesis. Biliousness: Jaundice associated with liver disease. A complex of symptoms comprising nausea, abdominal discomfort, headache, and constipation�formerly attributed to excessive secretion of bile from the liver. Black Death: Bubonic plague. Black fever: Acute infection with high temperature and dark red skin lesions and high mortality rate. Black plague: Bubonic plague. Black pox: Black Small pox. Black vomit: Vomiting old black blood due to ulcers or yellow fever. Blackwater fever: Dark urine associated with high temperature. Severe form of malaria in which the urine contains so much blood it appears black. Bladder In Throat: Diphtheria. Boil: An abscess of skin or painful, circumscribed inflammation of the skin or a hair follicle, having a dead, pus-forming inner core, usually caused by a staphylococcal infection. Synonym: furuncle. Bloody Flux: Dysentery involving a discharge of blood. Bloody stools. Blood poisoning: Bacterial infection; septic�mia. Bloody sweat: Sweating sickness.

Brain fever: Meningitis or typhus. Breakbone: Dengue fever. Break Bone Fever: Dengue fever. Bright's disease: Chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys. Bronze John: Yellow fever. Brucellosis: Disease resulting from drinking contaminated milk. Causes a feverish illness of variable duration often with joint problems and frequently depression. Bubo: Inflamed, enlarged or painful gland in the groin. A symptom of bubonic plague. Bule: Boil, tumor or swelling. Bursa: Small sac (closed bag) made of fibrous tissue and filled with a fluid. Usually occur close to a joint and allow moving surfaces like bones and tendons to move around each other with less friction. Cach�mia: Any blood disease. Cachexy: Malnutrition. Caduceus: Subject to falling sickness or epilepsy. Camp Diarrh�a: Typhus. Typhoid fever. Camp fever: Typhus; aka Camp diarrhea. Cancrum Oris: A severe, destructive, eroding ulcer of the cheek and lip, rapidly proceeding to sloughing.

In the last century it was seen in delicate, ill-fed, ill-tended children between the ages of two and five. The disease was the result of poor hygiene acting upon a debilitated system. It commonly followed one of the eruptive fevers and was often fatal. The destructive disease could, in a few days, lead to gangrene of the lips, cheeks, tonsils, palate, tongue, and even half the face; teeth would fall from their sockets, and a horribly fetid saliva flowed from the parts. Synonyms: canker, water canker, noma, gangrenous stomatitis, gangrenous ulceration of the mouth. Candida: Thrush � a fungal infection. Canine Madness: Rabies, hydrophobia. Canker: A severe, destructive, eroding ulcer of the cheek and lip. It commonly followed one of the eruptive fevers and was often fatal. Ulceration of mouth or lips or herpes simplex. Carbuncle: A large boil. Skin cancer or other tumour. Carcinoma: Cancer. Catalepsy: Seizures / trances. Catamenia: The menstrual discharge or menstruation.

Catarrh: Inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially of the air passages of the head and throat, with a free discharge. It is characterised by cough, thirst, lassitude, fever, watery eyes, and increased secretions of mucus from the air passages. Bronchial catarrh was bronchitis; suffocative catarrh was croup; urethral catarrh was gleet; vaginal catarrh was leukorrhea; epidemic catarrh was the same as influenza. Synonyms: cold, coryza. Catarrhal: Nose and throat discharge from cold or allergy. Catarrhal bronchitis: Acute bronchitis. Cerebritis: Inflammation of cerebrum or lead poisoning. Chalkstones: Skin swellings near joints seen in gout - Tophus ; Rheumatoid arthritis or nodules. Child Bed (Fever): Infection in the mother following birth of a child, probably due to staphylococcus. Chilblain: Malaria. Chill fever: Swelling of extremities caused by exposure to cold. Chin cough: Whooping cough.

Chloasma: Brownish freckly discolouration of the skin. Mostly seen in pregnancy. Chlorosis: Iron deficiency anemia. Cholecystitus: Inflammation of the gall bladder. Cholelithiasis: Gall stones. Cholera: An acute, infectious disease characterised by profuse diarrh�a, vomiting, and cramps. It is spread by f�ces-contaminated water and food. Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing. Cholera Infantum: A common, non-contagious diarrh�a of young children, occurring in summer or autumn. Death frequently occurred in three to five days. Cholera Morbus: Illness with vomiting, abdominal cramps and elevated temperature, etc. Possibly appendicitis. Chorea: Involuntary twitching of the muscles and uncoordinated movements. Disease characterized by convulsions, contortions and dancing. Chrisome: A child in the first month of life. Cold Plague: Ague characterised by chills. Colic: Convulsive pain in the abdomen or bowels. An abdominal pain and cramping. Commotion: Concussion.

Congestion: An excessive or abnormal accumulation of blood or other fluid in a body part or blood vessel. Any collection of fluid in an organ, like the lungs. Congestive chills: Malaria with diarrhea. Congestive fever: Malaria. Consumption: Tuberculosis. A wasting away of the body; formerly applied especially to pulmonary tuberculosis. The disorder is now known to be an infectious disease caused by the bacterial species Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Synonyms: marasmus (in the mid-nineteenth century), phthisis. Contagious Pyrexia: Dysentery. Corruption: General term for infection. Coryza: A cold. Costiveness: Constipation. Cow Pox: A non-fatal disease similar to smallpox, affecting cattle and transmissible to humans. Used to produce the first vaccinations. Cramp Colic: Appendicitis. Crop sickness: Overextended stomach. Croup: Any obstructive condition of the larynx or trachea, characterised by a hoarse, barking cough and difficult breathing. It occurs chiefly in infants and children. Laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat.

Cut of the Stone: The surgical removal of a bladder stone. 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: Lack of movement or staying in bed. Decrepitude: Feebleness due to old age. Decubitis: Died in bed. Delirium tremens: Hallucinations due to alcoholism. Results from alcoholic intoxication and is represented by a picture of confusion, terror, restlessness and hallucinations. Commonly know as �the DTs�. Dengue: Infectious fever endemic to East Africa. Dentition: Cutting (eruption) of teeth. Deplumation: Tumor of the eyelids which causes hair loss. Diary fever: A fever that lasts one day. Diphtheria: A serious infectious disease that attacks any mucous membrane, although it normally affects the throat or nose. Contagious disease of the throat. Distemper: Disturbed condition of the body or mind; ill health, illness; a mental or physical disorder; a disease or ailment.

Usually animal disease with malaise, discharge from nose and throat, anorexia. Dock Fever: Yellow fever. Domestic Illness: Mental breakdown, depression. Dropsy: Abnormal swelling of the body or part of the body due to the build-up of clear watery fluid. Edema (swelling), often caused by kidney or heart disease. Dropsy of the Brain: Encephalitis. Dry Bellyache: Lead poisoning. Dyscrasy: An abnormal body condition. Dysentery: A term given to a number of disorders marked by inflammation of the large intestine and attended by frequent stools containing blood and mucus. Inflammation of colon with frequent passage of mucous and blood. Dysorexy: Reduced appetite. Dyspepsia: Indigestion and heartburn. Heart attack symptoms. Dysphasia: Difficulty in speech. Dysury: Difficulty in or painful urination. E Eclampsia: Historically used as a general term for convulsions. Today identified with convulsions arising from tox�mia accompanying pregnancy. Eclampsy: Symptoms of epilepsy, convulsions during labor. 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 or emanations, applied especially to those of noxious character. Elephantiasis: A form of leprosy. Swelling of a limb caused by lymphatic obstruction. Leads to thickening of the skin (pachyderma) often used as a synonym for filariasis but may result from syphilis or recurring streptococcal infection (elephantiasis nostra). Emphysema: A chronic, irreversible disease of the lungs, characterised by shortness of breath, hacking cough, cyanosis and a "barrel-shaped" chest. Encephalitis: Swelling of brain; aka sleeping sickness. Enteric fever: Typhoid fever. Enterocolitis: Inflammation of the intestines. Enteritis: Inflations of the bowels. Epilepsy: A disorder of the nervous system, characterised either by mild, episodic loss of attention or sleepiness or by severe convulsions with loss of consciousness. Epitaxis: Nose bleed.

Epithelioma: Cancer of the skin. Ergot: A fungal disease of edible grasses. When ingested, the fungus can infect humans, producing either convulsions or gangrene. Erysipelas: An acute streptococcal infection of the skin characterised by a spreading, deep-red inflammation. Contagious skin disease, due to Streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions. Extravasted blood: Rupture of a blood vessel. Fainting Fits: Probably a euphemism for epilepsy. Falling Sickness: Epilepsy. Fatty Liver: Cirrhosis of liver. Foetor Oris: Bad breath. Fibrinous Bronchitis: Chronic bronchitis ; Possibly asthma. Fistula: An unnatural communication between two different body structures. Fits: Sudden attack or seizure of muscle activity. Flux: Dysentery. An excessive flow or discharge of fluid like hemorrhage or diarrhea. Flux of humour: Circulation. Foramen : Medical term for a hole. French Pox: Syphilis. Hemiplegy: Paralysis of one side of body. Hip gout: Osteomylitis.

Hives: A skin eruption of wheals that result from an allergic reaction. Severe allergic reaction can cause death from anaphylactic shock. Horrors: Delirium tremens. Hydrocephalus: Enlarged head, water on the brain. Hydropericardium: Heart dropsy. Hydropsy: The full name of dropsy. Hydrothroax: Dropsy in chest. Hypertrophic: Enlargement of organ, like the heart. Ichor: Leakage of fluid from a sore or wound. Impetigo: Contagious skin disease characterized by pustules. Impostume: Abscess. Inanition: Physical condition resulting from lack of food. Infantile Paralysis: Poliomyelitis (polio). Intermittent Fever: Illness marked by episodes of fever with return to completely normal temperature; usually malaria. Intestinal colic: Abdominal pain due to improper diet. Ischaemia: Deficient blood supply to an organ. King�s evil: Scrofula. Tuberculosis of neck and lymph glands. Kink: Fit of coughing or choking. Kruchhusten: Whooping cough.

L La grippe: Influenza. Leprosy: A chronic bacterial disease affecting mainly skin and nerves. If untreated, there can be progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Lientery: Diarrhoea in which the faeces contain undigested food. Livergrown: Possibly Rickets. John Graunt (2) observed that Bills or Mortality showing many deaths from Rickets showed few or none Livergrown and vice versa. Lockjaw: Tetanus, a disease in which the jaws become firmly locked together. Synonyms: trismus, tetanus. Locomotor Ataxia: Disease of the nervous system which results in inability to walk. Long Sickness: Tuberculosis. Marasmus: Progressive wasting away of body, like malnutrition. Meagrom, Megrim: A severe headache, often limited to one side of the head. Medulla: The marrow in the centre of a long bone. The soft internal portion of glands. Eg. Kidney, lymph nodes, thymus. Melancholia: Severe depression. Membranous Croup: Diphtheria. Meningitis: Inflations of brain or spinal cord.

Mesentery: A large fold of peritoneum, passing between a portion of intestine and the posterior abdominal wall. Meteorism: Flatulent distension of the abdomen with gas in the gut. Metritis: Inflammation of uterus or purulent vaginal discharge. Miasma: Poisonous vapours thought to infect the air and cause disease. Milk Fever: Short lived fever which sometimes accompanies lactation, probably a staphylococcus infection. Disease from drinking contaminated milk, like undulant fever or brucellosis. Milk Leg: Thrombosis of veins in the thigh usually seen after childbirth. Post partum thrombophlebitis. Milk sickness: Disease from milk of cattle which had eaten poisonous weeds. Morbilli: Measles. Morbus Addisonii: Addison's Disease. Morbus Cordis: Heart disease. A catch-all phrase for death by natural causes when the exact cause was not evident. Mormal: Gangrene. Morphew: Blisters resulting from scurvy. Scurvy blisters on the body. Mortification: Gangrene, necrotic tissue. Myelitis: Inflammation of the spine.

Myocarditis: Inflammation of heart muscles. Necrosis: The death of tissue. Mortification of bones or tissue. Nephrosis: Kidney degeneration. Nervous prostration: Extreme exhaustion from inability to control physical and mental activities. Nettle Rash: Urticaria. Neuralgia: Described as discomfort, such as "Headache" was neuralgia in head. Nostalgia: Homesickness. Pachyderma: Thickening of the skin. Palsy: Paralysis or difficulty with muscle control. Paralysis or uncontrolled movement of controlled muscles. Paralysis Agitants: Parkinson's disease. Parenchyma: The tissue that performs the function of an organ as opposed to the tissue that provide support (this is called the stroma). Paroxysm: Convulsion. Parturition: Labour or the process of childbirth. Pemphigus: Skin disease of watery blisters. Pericarditis: Inflammation of heart. Peritonitis: Inflammation of abdominal area. Pernicious An�mia: An�mia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Pertussis: Whooping cough.

Petechial Fever: Fever characterized by skin spotting. Peurperal exhaustion: Death due to child birth. Phlegmasia Alba Dolens: Thrombosis of veins in the thigh usually seen after childbirth. Phthiriasis: Lice infestation. Phthisis: Tuberculosis. Chronic wasting away or a name for tuberculosis. Pink Disease: Disease of teething infants due to mercury poisoning from teething powders. Plague: Any infectious disease with a high mortality rate, although will often mean bubonic plague. An acute febrile highly infectious disease with a high fatality rate. Planet-struck: Any sudden severe affliction or paralysis. Pleurisie / Pleurisy: Inflammation of the pleura, the membranous sac lining the chest cavity. Symptoms are chills, fever, dry cough, and pain in the affected side. Any pain in the chest area with each breath. Pneumonia: Inflammation of the lungs with congestion or consolidation. Porphyria: Rare metabolic disturbance that may cause mental damage in young children. It produces convulsions and delirium. Podagra: Gout.

Poliomyelitis: PolioPotter's asthma - Fibroid pthisis. Pott's disease: Tuberculosis of the spinal vertebr�. Potter's Asthma: Tuberculosis. Puerperal Exhaustion: Death due to childbirth. Puerperal Fever: Infection after giving birth to an infant, probably a staphylococcus infection. Puking Fever: Milk sickness. Purples: This is a rash due to spontaneous bleeding in to the skin. It may be a symptom of some severe illnesses, including bacterial endocarditis and cerebrospinal meningitis. Purpura: This is a rash due to spontaneous bleeding in to the skin i.e. bruises. There are many causes. The age of the victim would be relevant. Putrid fever: Typhus. Diphtheria. Putrid sore throat: Ulceration of an acute form, attacking the tonsils. Py�mia: A condition in which collection of pyogenic bacteria circulate in the blood at intervals producing abscesses wherever they lodge. Pyelitis: Inflammation of the pelvis of the kidney. Pyrexia: dysentery. Sanguineous crust: Scab.

Scarlatina: Scarlet fever. Scarlet fever (Scarlet Rash): An infectious fever, characterised by a widespread scarlet eruption. A disease characterized by red rash. Scarlet rash: Roseola. Sciatica: Rheumatism in the hips. Scirrhus: Cancerous tumors. Scotomy: Dizziness, nausea and dimness of sight. Scouring or scowring: Purging of the bowels, probably diarrh�a or dysentery. Screws: Rheumatism. Scrivener's Palsy: Writer's cramp. Scrofula or scrofula fugax: Primary tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, especially those in the neck. A disease of children and young adults, it represents a direct extension of tuberculosis into the skin from underlying lymph nodes. It evolves into cold abscesses, multiple skin ulcers, and draining sinus tracts. Tuberculosis of neck lymph glands. Progresses slowly with abscesses and pustulas develop. Young person's disease. Possibly chicken pox. Scrofula mesenterica: An internal non-pulmonary tuberculosis, resulting in a swollen abdomen, loss of appetite and a pale complexion.

Scrofula vulgaris: An itchy rash associated with hospitals. Most probably a streptococcal infection. Scrumpox: Skin disease, impetigo. Scurvy: A disease caused by severe vitamin C deficiency. Symptoms of weakness, spongy gums and hemorrhages under skin. Septicemia: Blood poisoning. Shingles: Viral disease with skin blisters. Ship fever: Typhus. Siriasis: Inflammation of the brain due to sun exposure. Sloes: Milk sickness. Small Pox: Highly infectious viral disease producing pustules. Contagious disease with fever and blisters. Softening of the Brain: Stroke. 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 Disease: Syphilis. Spanish Influenza: The variant of influenza that was responsible for the 1918 pandemic. Epidemic influenza. Spasms: Sudden involuntary contraction of muscle or group of muscles, like a convulsion. Spina bifida: Deformity of spine. Splenic fever: Anthrax in animals.

Spotted fever: Meningitis or typhus. Either typhus or meningitis. Spring nettle: Urticaria or Nettle rash. Sprue: Tropical disease characterized by intestinal disorders and sore throat. St Anthony's Fire: Skin disease caused by toxins from ergot infection. Sometimes used for erysipelas and other diseases producing a reddening of the skin. Also erysipelas, but named so because of affected skin areas are bright red in appearance. St Vitus Dance: Chorea. Ceaseless occurrence of rapid complex jerking movements performed involuntary. Stomatitis: Inflammation of the mouth. Stranger's fever: Yellow fever. Strangery: Rupture ; painful desire to urinate. Strangury: Painful urination. It may occur after labour, but is more often the result of disease in the bladder or urethra. Strophulus: Sweat rash ; prickly heat. Strumous: Swollen (tissue or organ). Stuffing: Croup. 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. Surfet or surfeit: Vomiting from over eating or gluttony. Swamp Sickness: Malaria, typhoid or encephalitis. Sweating Sickness: Infectious and often fatal disease affecting England in the 15th century. Sycosis Barb�: Infection of the hair follicles of the beard area. Syringitis: Inflammation of the Eustachian tube. T Tabes Dorsalis: Syphilis of the spinal cord. Tabes mesenterica: Tuberculosis of the mesenteric glands in children, resulting in digestive derangement and wasting of the body. Teeth: Death of an infant when teething. Children appear to have been more susceptible to infection during this time, although malnutrition from being fed watered milk has also been suggested as a cause. Teething: The entire process which results in the eruption of the teeth. Nineteenth-century medical reports stated that infants were more prone to disease at the time of teething. Symptoms were restlessness, fretfulness, convulsions, diarrh�a, and painful and swollen gums.

The latter could be relieved by lancing over the protruding tooth. Often teething was reported as a cause of death in infants. Perhaps they became susceptible to infections, especially if lancing was performed without antisepsis. Another explanation of teething as a cause of death is that infants were often weaned at the time of teething; perhaps they then died from drinking contaminated milk, leading to an infection, or from malnutrition if watered-down milk was given. Tenesmus: Painful and unsuccessful desire to defaecate ; cramp form the muscles of the anal sphincter. Tetanus: An infectious, often-fatal disease characterised by respiratory paralysis and tonic spasms and rigidity of the voluntary muscles, especially those of the neck and lower jaw. The bacterium enters the body through wounds. Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache and dizziness. Thrombosis: Blood clot inside blood vessel. Thrush: A disease characterised by whitish spots and ulcers on the membranes of the mouth, tongue, and throat caused by a parasitic fungus. Thrush usually affects sick, weak infants and elderly individuals in poor health.

Tinea Sycosis: Infection of the hair follicles of the beard area. Tissick: Cough. Trench mouth: Painful ulcers found along gum line, Caused by poor nutrition and poor hygiene. Tussis convulsiva: Whooping cough. Typhoid: Typhoid fever is contracted when people eat food or drink water that has been infected. It is recognized by the sudden onset of sustained fever, severe headache, nausea and severe loss of appetite. It is sometimes accompanied by hoarse cough and constipation or diarrh�a. Tympany: A swelling or tumour. Typhus: An acute, infectious disease transmitted by lice and fleas. Infectious fever characterized high fever, headache, and dizziness. White swelling: Tuberculosis of the bone. Winter fever: Pneumonia. Wolf: A rapidly expanding growth, probably a malignant tumour. Womb fever: Infection of the uterus. Worm Fit: Convulsions associated with teething, worms, elevated temperature or diarrh�a.

Y Yellow fever: An acute, often-fatal, infectious febrile disease of warm climates�caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes, especially Aledes �gypti, and characterised by liver damage and jaundice, fever, and protein in the urine. In 1900 Walter Reed and others in Panama found that mosquitoes transmit the disease. Clinicians in. the late nineteenth century recognised "specific yellow fever" as being different from "malarious yellow fever." The latter supposedly was a form of malaria with liver involvement but without urine involvement. Yellowjacket: Note: (1) Most of the definitions of diseases in the glossary that follows are from medical dictionaries or medical texts compiled at different points in the nineteenth century. While I have tried to submit the best-possible interpretation of these terms, there are certainly other interpretations which may be valid. I don't guarantee that all definitions are 100% correct. (2) John Graunt, Citizen of London, published his 'Natural and Political Observations ... made upon the Bills of Mortality' in 1662.

Other sources online: Glossary of Archaic Medical Terms: World Book Medical Encyclopedia: Old Disease Names: Scrofula - definition of scrofula by The Free Dictionary Scrofula - definition of scrofula by The Free Dictionary (skrŏf′yə-lə) n. A form of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes, especially of the neck, that is most common in children and is usually spread by unpasteurized milk from infected cows. Also called struma. [Middle English scrophula, from Late Latin scrōfulae, swelling of the glands, diminutive of Latin scrōfa, sow; see sker-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] scrofula (ˈskrɒfjʊlə) n (Pathology) pathol (no longer in technical use) tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands. Also called (formerly): the king's evil [C14: from Medieval Latin, from Late Latin scrōfulae swollen glands in the neck, literally: little sows (sows were thought to be particularly prone to the disease), from Latin scrōfa sow] scrof•u•la n.

primary tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, esp. of the neck. [1350–1400; < Late Latin scrōfulae (Latin scrōf(a) sow), from the belief that breeding sows were susceptible] ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: T.B. , tuberculosis , TB - infection transmitted by inhalation or ingestion of tubercle bacilli and manifested in fever and small lesions (usually in the lungs but in various other parts of the body in acute stages) Translations n (dated Med) → Skrofulose f, → Skrofel f scrof·u·la n. escrófula, tuberculosis de la glándula linfática. scrofula n escrófula Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: T.B. References in classic literature ?

There was no other attribute that so much impressed her with a sense of new and untransmitted vigour in Pearl's nature, as this never failing vivacity of spirits: she had not the disease of sadness, which almost all children, in these latter days, inherit, with the scrofula, from the troubles of their ancestors. View in context I judged that a sharp, bright new nickel, with a first-rate like- ness of the king on one side of it and Guenever on the other, and a blooming pious motto, would take the tuck out of scrofula as handy as a nobler coin and please the scrofulous fancy more; and I was right. Late Coleridge and the life of idealism We made a point of collecting only those bearing the names of drinks firms from our home town which were quickly joined by other 'discoveries' such as clay pipes, pot lids, cobalt blue glass poison bottles - they have ribs and 'pimples' in their design so that they could be identified by the visually impaired - and pots which once contained ointment so magical it could cure everything from scrofula to sciatica.

Child Workers and Industrial Health in Britain, 1780-1850 It had long been believed in England and France that monarchs had a God-given power to heal by touch a particular form of tuberculosis called scrofula, The monarch hung the perforated coins around the necks of sufferers personally, and it was thought that through talismanic action, the healing power of the King could be transferred to the recipient, who was instructed to continue to wear the coin, being cured if they had enough faith. Heavenly way to coin it in; Under the Hammer She enthusiastically exercised the so-called "king's touch" to cure people suffering from the "king's evil," or scrofula, a painful swelling of the lymph nodes caused by tuberculosis.

Common denominators in successful female statecraft: the political legacies of Queen Elizabeth I, Indira Gandhi, and Margaret Thatcher Radix Scrophulariae, a traditional Chinese herb medicine derives from the Scrophularia ningpoensis (Xuans hen), has long been used in clinic to treat febrile diseases with impairment of Yin manifested by deep red tongue and dire thirst or with eruptions, constipation due to impairment of body fluid; phtisis with cough, conjunctivitis, sore throat, scrofula, diphteria, boils and sores, internal bleeding (Wagner et al. Effects of ethanolic extract from radix scrophulariae on ventricular remodeling rats According to legend King Edward possessed the miraculous gift of healing through the royal touch, curing subjects of scrofula, the so-called King's Evil, by "Hanging a golden stamp about their necks / Put on with holy prayers," which "healing benediction" he transmitted to "succeeding royalty" including the monarchs under whose authority Shakespeare lived.

Symbolic and thematic impoverishment in Polanski's Macbeth He remarks in his 1803 The Temple of Nature; or, the Origins of Society: "As many families gradually extinct [sic] by hereditary diseases, as by scrofula, consumption, epilepsy, mania, it is often hazardous to marry an heiress, as she is not unfrequently the last of a diseased family. King’s evil and the royal touch Select from the menus below to find out more about a technique or technology. King’s evil and the royal touch Charles II touching a patient for the King's evil. Add image to my collection In the Middle Ages it was believed in England and France that a touch from royalty could heal skin disease known as scrofula or the ‘king's evil’. Scrofula was usually a swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck caused by tuberculosis . The practice began with King Edward the Confessor in England (1003/4-1066) and Philip I (1052-1108) in France. Subsequent English and French kings were thought to have inherited this ‘royal touch’, which was supposed to show that their right to rule was God-given.

In grand ceremonies, kings touched hundreds of people afflicted by scrofula. They received special gold coins called 'touchpieces' which they often treated as amulets . By the late 1400s it was believed that you could also be cured by touching a type of coin called an angel, which had been touched by the monarch. After angels ceased to be minted in the 1620s the same effect was said to be achieved by touching a gold medallion embossed much like the old coin. Some monarchs touched many people. King Henry IV of France touched up to 1500 victims at one time. The last English monarch to carry out this practice was Queen Anne, who died in 1714, but it continued in France. Louis XV touched more than 2000 scrofula victims and the last French monarch to do this was Charles X in 1825.

Question: What is the historical name for the disease scrofula?
Answer: King's Evil