Illnesses and Diseases
Have you happened to come
across a relative in your family tree and listed as their cause of death is
something you have never heard of? I was
curious about many of the illnesses that were around in the 1800s that so
easily often wiped out entire families. Many of these I had no idea what they were. You never really hear about
them today because thankfully, we have vaccines for them and have made great
medical advances. Here is a list of some
illnesses and diseases that I have come across in my cemetery and burial
research. If you have any others you
think I should add, please let me know!
Apoplexy- sudden
impairment of neurological function, especially from a cerebral hemorrhage; a
stroke
Bright’s disease- any of several diseases of the kidney
marked especially by edema and the presence of albumin in the urine.
Cholera- an
acute infectious disease of the small intestine, caused by the bacterium Vibrio
cholerae, caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food and characterized by profuse watery diarrhea,
vomiting, muscle cramps, severe dehydration, and depletion of electrolytes
Consumption-a
progressive wasting away of the body especially from pulmonary tuberculosis
Croup- A pathological condition of the larynx, especially in infants and
children, that is characterized by respiratory difficulty and a hoarse, brassy
cough.
Diphtheria-
An acute infectious disease caused
by the bacillus Corynebacterium diphtheriae, characterized by the
production of a systemic toxin and the formation of a false membrane on the
lining of the mucous membrane of the throat and other respiratory passages,
causing difficulty in breathing, high fever, and weakness. The toxin is
particularly harmful to the tissues of the heart and central nervous system.
Dropsy-
swelling from excessive accumulation of serous fluid in tissue, also known as
edema
Dysentery-
An inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract, usually caused by a
bacterial, parasitic, or protozoan infection and resulting in pain, fever, and
severe diarrhea, often accompanied by the passage of blood and mucus
Dyspepsia- disturbed digestion; indigestion.
Nephritis- an inflammation of the kidney, it is often caused by infections, toxins, and auto-immune diseases.
Scarlet fever-an
acute contagious disease caused by a hemolytic streptococcus, occurring
predominantly among children and characterized by a scarlet skin eruption, high
fever, by inflammation of the nose, throat, and mouth
Smallpox-a
highly contagious disease causing fever and aches, left blind in the eyes, pockmarks on skin
Typhoid fever-
an acute, highly infectious disease caused by a bacillus (Salmonella typhi)
transmitted chiefly by contaminated food or water and characterized by high
fever, headache, coughing, intestinal hemorrhaging, diarrhea, prostration,
leucopenia, and rose-colored spots on the skin. Also called enteric fever