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Archiver > INMONROE > 2001-10 > 1002807903


From: Randi Richardson <>
Subject: RE: [INMONROE] 1850 Monroe County, Indiana, Mortality Census (Ind ian Creek Township)
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 08:45:03 -0500
In-Reply-To: <4F1C26C2EB4CD211BD2300805F657B5C09D3D370@newjersey.exchange.indiana.edu>


At 08:42 AM 10/10/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>I noticed that one of the people died of King's Evil. What is that?
>Thanks,
>Fred

Fred

What a way to wake up in the morning. With a good question. One that
challenges me to go beyond my dictionary.

Using the search engine at www.google.com, I searched for the keyword
"King's Evil." I found what I was looking for at
http://www.bact.wisc.edu/Bact330/lecturetb. It is noted on that page that
King's Evil is TB, aka consumption, phthisis, and scrofula. I have seen
all of these names in the mortality census without having a true
understanding of what they were.

Here's a paragraph from the page: "TB has had many aliases throughout
history: The ancient Greeks called it phthisis (to waste). The swollen
glands of the neck were called scrofula. It was called The Kings Evil in
medieval times because newly crowned kings of England and France were
believed to have powers to heal TB with their touch. TB of the skin was
known as lupus vulgaris. TB of the bone as Potts disease with
characteristic vertebral fusion and deformity of the spine. The most
familiar term for TB, at least to our grandparents and great-grandparents
was consumption, which means to consume or wear away. Whatever mask it
wore, TB was responsible for 20% of deaths in London in the 1600s, over 30%
of deaths in Paris in the 1800s and today is a global emergency according
to the world health organization."

Thanks for asking.

Randi Richardson


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