The table below shows some of the outdated medical terms that you might come across when looking at old records. The further back you go the more likely you are to discover causes of death such as "old age" or "senile heart". We would like to add any more that you know. Send them to us and we will add them. If you think we have got any wrong then please let us know.
| Old Term | Modern Description |
|---|---|
| Apoplexy | Stroke |
| Atrophy of liver | Any kind of wasting or diminshed function and could be applied to other organs |
| Bad blood | Syphilis |
| Blood poisoning | Septicemia |
| Bright's disease | Kidney disease |
| Chincough | Whooping cough |
| Consumption | Tuberculosis, pulmonary |
| Cretinism | Hypothyroidism, congenital |
| Croup | Hoarse croaking cough associated with inflammation of the larynx and trachea in children. |
| Dropsy | Congestive heart failure or any other condition which leads to a build up of fluid (Oedema). |
| Fatty liver | Cirrhosis |
| General paralysis of the insane | Tertiary syphilis |
| Glandular fever | Mononucleosis |
| Grippe | Influenza (Flu) |
| Jail fever | Typhus |
| Kink | Fit of coughing or choking |
| Lock jaw | Tetanus |
| Lung fever | Tuberculosis |
| Plague/Black death | Bubonic plague |
| Podagra | Gout |
| Pott's disease | Tuberculosis of the spinal vertebrae |
| Phthisis | Wasting of the body or pulmonary tuberculosis |
| Quinsy | Acute suppurative tonsillitis; peritonsillar abscess. An acute inflammation of the tonsils with the formation of pus. |
| Scarlet Fever | Acute infectious fever caused by haemolytic streptococcus infection in the throat |
| Scrofula | Tuberculosis of the neck lymph nodes |
| Toxemia of pregnancy | Eclampsia (high blood pressure & seizures) |
Go To Top of Page.
Go Back to "Internet Links" Page.
[Home Page]