Medical Terms

This chapter is not an exhaustive or authoritative list of all diseases and obsolete medical terms. Further, the author is not a medical professional and the information contained within this chapter is not for medical use. This chapter is intended to help genealogists understand medical conditions, illnesses, etc. that affected our ancestors.

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C

camp fever

See: typhus.

 

cancer

A malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth that expands locally by incation and systematically by metastasis; an abnormal state marked by such tumors. Enlarged tumor-like growth; a disease marked by such growths. In the 19th century, cancerous tumors tended to ulcerate, grew constantly, and progressed to a fatal end and that there was scarcely a tissue they would not invade.

 

canker

An ulcerous sore of the mouth and lips, not considered fatal today.

 

carbuncle

A painful local inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues with multiple openings for the discharge of pus and dead tissue.

 

cholera

An acute, infectious disease characterized by profuse diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps. Cholera is spread by feces-contaminated water and food. 

 

cholera infantum

A common, noncontiguous diarrhea of young children, occurring in summer or autumn. It was common among the poor and in hand-fed babies. Death frequently occurred in three to five days. Synonyms: summer complaint, weaning brash, water gripes, choleric fever of children, cholera morbus.

 

chorea

Any of several diseases of the nervous system, characterized by jerky movements that appear to be well coordinated but are performed involuntarily, chiefly of the face and extremities. Synonym: Saint Vitus' dance. May be called Huntingdon's Chorea or Huntingdon's Disease.

 

colic

Paroxysmal pain in the abdomen or bowels. Infantile colic is benign paroxysmal abdominal pain during the first three months of life. Colic rarely caused death. Renal colic can occur from disease in the kidney, gallstone colic from a stone in the bile duct.

 

congestion

An excessive or abnormal accumulation of blood or other fluid in a body part or blood vessel. In congestive fever the internal organs become gorged with blood.

 

congestive fever

See: malaria 

 

consumption

A wasting away of the body; formerly applied especially to pulmonary tuberculosis. Synonyms: marasmus (in the mid-nineteenth century), phthisis.

 

coronary

An acute episode of heart disease (such as myocardial infarction) especially when caused by a coronary thrombosis or a coronary occlusion. Commonly called a heart attack.

 

coronary occlusion

The partial or complete blocking (as by a thrombosis, by spasm, or by sclerosis) of a coronary artery.

 

coronary thrombosis

A clot in the blood vessel.

 

cramp colic

Appendicitis 

 

croup

Laryngitis, diphtheria, or strep throat.