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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D

diabetes

Any of various abnormal conditions characterized by the secretion and excretion of abnormal amounts of urine.

 

Diptheria

Contagious disease in the throat.

 

domestic illness

Polite way of saying mental breakdown, depression, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or the after effects of a stroke or any illness that kept a person housebound and probably in need of nursing support.

 

dropsy

Congestive heart failure.  A contraction for hydropsy. The presence of abnormally large amounts of fluid. 

 

dysentery

A term given to a number of disorders marked by inflammation of the intestines (especially of the colon). There are two specific varieties: (1) amebic dysentery (2) bacillary dysentery. Synonyms: flux, bloody flux, contagious pyrexia (fever), frequent griping stools.  A common ailment of soldiers and prisoners of war in the 19th century and before.

 

dyspepsia

Acid indigestion.