KYJacksonPurchase-L Archives

From: Bill Utterback <>
Subject: [KYJP] Colonial & 19th Century Medical Terminology - Continued
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 20:15:07 -0500

My friends -

Today, we are going to pick up a few more of the medical terms from the
colonial and 19th century period.
These items may never be seen as you move through documents in your
research, but, every now and then, one will turn up, and, in many cases, we
are left wondering what in the world these people were talking about.
We've come a long way in medicine since these earlier times, and, in view
of the events of recent weeks, we are very fortunate that we have advanced,
especially throughout the 20th century in such great leaps. One of my
gg-gf's was a physician in Calloway County, and, when he stopped practicing
due to old age about 1887, he was still treating some ailments in the same
manner that he treated them in the 1830's. There had been some
advancements, of course, in the 19th century, but they pale in comparison
to those which occurred in the next century.

As is now customary, there will be no data posts per se tomorrow, or on the
weekend, but I do intend to return with a file offering over this period,
and I will be working in earnest on the Graves County Order Book G Master
Index. I am currently about half way through it, but now that I have some
time freed up, I hope to complete it and get it online soon.

-B

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Colonial & 19th Century Terminology - Continued

Barber's Itch - a pustular ailment of men with beards, caused by a fungus.

Mentagra - a different ailment of the beards of older, debilitated men,
caused by inflammation of the hair follicles

Lues - Syphilis (seen occasionally in colonial documents)

Pernio - chilblain

Lightning Catarrh - Influenza

Carbuncle - in colonial times, anthrax.

Splenic Fever - Anthrax

Woolsorter's Disease - Anthrax

Epilepsy of the Lung - Asthma

Marasmus - Extreme wasting away in infants without apparent cause

Huckle - concerned with the hip joint

Struma - Goiter

~to be continued~
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