Diseases of our Ancestors
 


Over time, many disease names have changed.  Below is a list of some of the old terms that you may come across and their current names.
 

Outdated Term Current Term
   
Ague malaria
Apoplexy stroke
Bad blood syphilis
Blood poisoning septicemia (overwhelming bacterial infection
Bright's Disease glomerulonephritis (serious kidney disease)
Consumption tuberculosis, pulmonary
Cretinism hypothyroidsim, congenital
Dropsy congestive heart failure
Fatty liver cirrhosis
Glandular fever mononucleosis
Grippe influenza (flu)
Jail fever typhus
Lock jaw tetanus
Lung fever pneumonia
Lung sickness tuberculosis
Plague/Black death Bubonic plague
Podagra Gout
Pott's disease tuberculosis of the spinal vertebrae
Quinsy streptococcal tonsillitis
Scrofula tuberculosis of the neck lymph nodes
Toxemia of pregnancy eclampsis (high blood pressure & seizures)

 

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