Medieval Disease & Illness

This is but a sampling of medieval diseases, illness, and injuries. I'll be adding more as I find them.

Ague–-Malarial fever with successive recurring stages of fever and chills

Apoplexy–-Stroke

Artetica–-Arthritis

Black Jaundice–-Leptospriosis

Bloody Flux–-Diarrhea

Botches–-Bumps or sores on the body

Bubos–-Lymph Nodes swelling

Bursten–-A hernia

Cachexia–-Loss of weight and strength from lack of appetite

Calentune–-Sunstroke or heatstroke

Calenture–-A burning fever temperature

Camp Fever–-Typhoid

Cast–-Cavity in the body; usually the intestinal, vaginal, or renal

Catalepsy–-A sudden, motionless trance-like state

Child-blain–-Inflammation, rash, or itchy irritation from overexposure to coldness or moisture

Chin-cough–-Whooping cough

Clap, The–-Gonorrhea

Consumption–-Tuberculosis; Wasting away of the body especially from pulmonary disease

Discuria–-Difficulty in either initiating urination or in completely emptying the bladder

Dog-hunger–-An insatiable desire for food or drink

Dropsy–-O edema (fluid retention) often due to heart or kidney disease

Dumb Palsy–-Sudden loss of the ability to speak, often symptom of a stroke

Ephialtes–-Nightmares, but perhaps better applied to sleep paralysis

Falling Down of the Fundament–-Prolapsed rectum

Falling Sickness–-Epilepsy

Flux–-Dysentery, Hemorrhage diarrhea

Frets–-Childhood fussy behavior due to colic

Gangrene–-Necrosis of flesh with green discharge

Gravel–-Kidney or bladder stones

Great Mortality, The–-Black death

Great Pox–-Syphilis

Green-Sickness–-Anemia

Hot Stomach–-Heartburn or acid reflux

Humors–-Swellings related to dropsy

Hydrophobia–-Rabies

Hydropic–-Containing excess water

Iliac Passion–-Peritonitis,Intestinal obstruction

Imposthumations–-Abscesses swellings

Iscuria–-Urinary retention

Jaundice–-Wiel's disease Disease with fever and jaundice

Kibe–-Chapped foot skin from extreme coldness or dryness

King's Evil–-Scrofula A lymphatic infection in the neck

Lask–-Diarrhea

Lassitude–-Weakness, exhaustion

Leprosy–-Disfiguring bacterial illness

Liver-grown–-Having an enlarged liver

Lousy Evil–-poorf hygiene leading to lice and crabs

Malaria–-Recurring fevers with multiple extra symptoms

Meagrille–-Measles

Megrims–-Migraine

Morphew–-A scurfy eruption

Noli me tangere–-Cancerous ulcer on the nose

Phthisicks–-Pulmonary tuberculosis

Piles–-Hemorrhoids

Pin and Web (1)–-Caligo (dimness)

Pin and Web (1)–-Pterygium (a mass of tissue growing from the corner of the eye)

Pissing Evil–-Diabetes

Pleurisy–-Inflammation between lung and chest wall, or pneumonia

Podagra–-Gout

Pox, Red Plague–-Smallpox

Priapism–-Prolonged and painful erection

Purblinde–-Short sighted and poor eyesight

Purfy–-Short of breath or winded

Putrid Throat–-Diphtheria

Quartan–-Fever occurring every three or four days

Quartan Agues–-Fevers and chills arising from infections

Quinsies–-Streptococcal tonsillitis

Redgum–-Strophulus

Rheume–-Watery discharge

Rheumes Into The Jaw–-A mucus discharge from the jaw

Rickets–-Weight-bearing bones deformed from childhood

Rising of the Mother–-A trancelike, unresponsive state thought to be brought on by hysteria

Running of the Reins–-A genital discharge like gelled urine from a venereal disease

Saint Anthony's Fire–-Ergotism, Erysipelas

Schirrus–-Cancerous tumor, or a hard, dense growth on or between connective tissue

Sciatica–-Pain radiating from sciatic nerve between lower back and foot

Scrofula–-Tuburculosis

Splenetick–-An spleen illness

Squincies–-Swellings of the throat

St Anthony's Fire–-Upper dermis infections

St Vitus's Dance–-Sydenham's chorea

Standing of the Yard–-Priapism

Stranguria–-Slow, painful urination

Strangury–-Painful excretion of urine

Surfeits–-Nausea from overindulgence

Sweating Sickness–-Influenza

Terms–-Menstruation

Tertian Fever–-Repeating malaria fever every third day

Tertian/Quotidian Fevers–-Intermittent fevers from malaria

Tetters–-Sores, scabbed sore, pimples marks, or scars

Travail–-Childbirth pain

Uxulceration–-Exulceration, the formation of an ulcer

Wens–-A harmless cyst especially on the scalp or face

Whelk–-Raised lesion on the skin

Wind-Cholic–-Colic