Many, many years ago someone posted this list and I kept a copy. Some of
these names are quite interesting and others are quite odd. Make a copy and
keep it with your notes. It might come in handy while reading those very, very
old death certificates.
ABLEPSY- blindness
AGUE - malarial fever
AMERICAN PLAGUE - yellow fever
ANASARCA -general massive edema
APHONIA - laryngitis
APHTHA - infant disease "thrush"
APOPLEXY - paralysis from stroke
ASPHYCSIA/ASPHICSIA - cyanotic (lack of oxygen)
ATROPHY - wasting away
BAD BLOOD - syphilis
BILIOUS FEVER - typhoid, malaria, hepatitis or high temperature and bile
emesis. Also what we call yellow jaundice today
BILIOUSNESS - jaundice from liver disease
BLACK PLAGUE OR DEATH - bubonic plague
BLACK FEVER - acute infection with high temperature and dark red skin
lesions, high mortality rate
BLACK POX - black small pox
BLACK VOMIT - vomiting odd black blood due to ulcers or yellow fever
BLACKWATER FEVER - dark urine with high temperature
BLADDER IN THROAT - diphtheria (seen on death certificates
BLOOD POISONING - bacterial infection; septicemia
BLOODY FLUX - bloody stools
BLOODY SWEAT - sweating sickness
BONE SHAVE - sciatica
BRAIN FEVER - meningitis
BREAKBONE - dengue fever
BRIGHT'S DISEASE - chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys
BRONZE JOHN - yellow fever
BULE - boil, tumor or swelling
CACHEXY - malnutrition
CACOGASTRIC - upset stomach
CACOSPYSY - irregular pulse
CADUCEUS - subject to falling sickness or epilepsy
CAMP FEVER - typhus or camp diarrhea
CANINE MADNESS - rabies, hydrophobia
CANKER - ulceration of mouth or lips or herpes simplex
CATALEPSY - seizures or trances
CATARRHAL - nose and throat discharge from cold or allergy
CEREBRITIS - inflammation of cerebrum or lead poisoning
CHILBLAIN - swelling of extremities from exposure to cold
CHILD BED FEVER - infection following child birth
CHIN COUGH - whopping cough
CHLOROSIS - iron deficiency anemia
CHOLERA - acute, severe, contagious diarrhea with intestional 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 characterized by chills
COLIC - an abdominal pain and cramping
CONGESTIVE CHILLS - malaria
CONSUMPTION - tuberculosis
CONGESTION - any collection of fluid in an organ, like the lungs
CONGESTIVE CHILLS - malaria
CONGESTIVE FEVER - malaria
CORRUPTION - infection
CORYZA - a cold
COSTIVENESS - constipation
CRAMP COLIC - appendicitis
CROP SICKNESS - overextended stomach
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, staying in bed
DECREPITUDE - feebleness from old age
DELIRIUM TREMENS - hallucinations due to alcoholism
DENGUE - infectious fever endemic to East Africa
DENTITION - cutting of teeth
DEPLUMATION - tumor of the eyelids causing 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
ENCLAMPSY - 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 or sleeping sickness
ENTERIC FEVER - typhoid fever
ENTEROCOLITIS - inflammation of the bowels
ENTERITIS - inflation of the bowels
EPITAXIS - nose bleed
ERYSIPELAS - contagious skin disease from 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
FRENCH POX - syphilis
GATHERING - a collection of pus
GLANDULAR FEVER - mononucleosis
GREAT POX - syphilis
GREEN FEVER/SICKNESS - anemia
GRIPPE/GRIP - influenza like symptoms
GROCER'S ITCH - skin disease caused bymites in sugar or flour
HEART SICKNESS - condition caused by loss of salt from body
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
HECTICAL COMPLAINT - recurrent fever
HEMATEMESIS - vomiting blood
HEMATURIA - bloody urine
HEMIPLEGY - paralysis of one side of body
HIP GOUT - osteomylitis
HORRORS - delirium tremens
HYDROCEPHALUS - enlarged head, water on the brain
HYDROPERICARDIUM - heart dropsy
HYDROPHOBIA - rabies
HYDROTHROAX - dropsy in chest
HYPERTROPHIC - enlargement of organ, like the heart
IMPETIGO - contagious skin disease with pustules
INANITION - physical condition resulting from lack of food
INFANTILE PARALYSIS - polio
INTESTINAL COLIC - abdominal pain from improper diet
JAIL FEVER - typhus
JAUNDICE - condition caused by blockage of intestines
KING'S EVIL - tuberculosis of neck and lymph glands
KRUCHHUSTEN - whooping cough
LAGRIPPE - influenza
LOCKJAW - tetanus or infectious disease affecting th emuscvles of the neck
and jaw. Untreated it is fatal in 8 days
LONG SICKNESS - tuberculosis
LUES DISEASE - syphilis
LUES VENEERA - veneral disease
LUMBAGO - back pain
LUNG FEVER - pneumonia
LUNG SICKNESS - tuberculosis
LYING IN - time of delivery of infant
MALIGNANT SORE THROAT - diphtheria
MANIA - insanity
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
NEPRITIS - inflammation of kidneys
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
PARAXYSM - convulsion
PEMPHIGUS - skin disease with watery blisters
PERICARDITIS - inflammation of heart
PERIPNEUMONIA - inflammation of lungs
PERITONOTIS - inflammation of abdominal area
PETECHIAL FEVER - fever with skin spotting
PUERPERAL EXHAUSTION - death from 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 - polio potter's asthma
POTT'S DISEASE - tuberculosis of spine
PUERPERAL EXHAUSTION - death from childbirth
PUERPERAL FEVER - elevated temperature after giving birth to an infant
PUKING FEVER - milk sickness
PUTRID FEVER - diphtheria
QUINSY - tonsillitis
REMITTING FEVER - malaria
PHEUMATISM - any disorder associated with pain in joints
RICKETS - disease of skeletal system
ROSE COLD - hay fever or nasal symptoms of an allergy
ROTANNY FEVER - children's disease
RUBEOLA - german measles
SANGUINEOUS CRUST - scab
SCARLATINA - scarlet fever
SCARLET FEVER - a disease with a 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 developing. Usually occurs in the young
SCRUMPOX - skin disease, impetigo
SCURVY - lack of vitamin C. Symptoms of weakness, spongy gums, hemmoraging
under skin
SEPTICEMIA - blood poisoning shakes
SHAKING - chills, ague
SHINGLES - viral disease with skin blisters
SHIP FEVER - typhus
SIRIASIS - inflammation of the brain from exposure to the sun
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 with 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
STRANGERY - rupture
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 with high fever, headache and idzziness
THROMBOSIS - blood clot inside blood vessel. Thrush
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 with high fever, headache and dizziness
VARIOLA - smallpox
VENESECTION - bleeding
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, high temperature or
diarrhea
YELLOWJACKET - yellow fever
This it it folks. I've typed my hands off. Hope you enjoy reading some of
these illness. I had to laugh at some of the names.