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Pachyderma	Thickening of the skin
Painter's Colic	Chronic intestinal pains and constipation caused by lead poisoning. Also called lead colic or Devonshire Colic. (Thanks to Lynn Mills)
Palsy	Paralysis or difficulty with muscle control - often modified as in Bell's palsy, cerebral palsy etc
Panama fever	See Ague
Paralysis Agitants	Parkinson's disease
Paralysis Of The Insane(GPI)	Mental disturbance along with muscular paralysis.
Paristhmitis	See Quinsy.
Paroxysm	Convulsion (a fit)
Pellegra	Nicotinic acid (a B vitamin) deficiency
Pemphigus	Skin disease of watery blisters
Peptone	A substance produced during the hydrolysis of protein by the action of pepsin.
Pericarditis	Inflammation of the pericardium (a membrane surrounding the heart)
Peritoneum	The delicate membrane that line the abdominal and pelvic cavities and also cover the organs contained in them.
Peritonitis	Inflammation of the peritoneum (see above)
Perityphilitis	Appendicitis
Perlèche	Cracked sores at the angles of the mouth
Pernicious Anaemia	Anaemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. In modem times the term is actually reserved for people whose stomachs fail to produce adequate amounts of a chemical called intrinsic factor which is necessary for vitamin B12 to be absorbed (otherwise known as Addisonian pernicious anaemia). This means that B12 has to be given by injection. There is an increased incidence of stomach cancer in people with pernicious anaemia
Pertussis	Whooping cough
Petechial Fever	Typhus
Peyer's Patches	Flat patches of lymphatic tissue situated in the small intestine but mainly in the ileum. They are the seat of infection of Typhoid fever and Tuberculosis.
Phlegmasia Alba Dolens	Thrombosis of veins in the thigh usually seen after childbirth
Phlegmonous	The nature of phlegmon which is a condition of acute suppuration of the lose connective tissue.
Phrenitis	Inflammation of the brain
Phthiriasis	An infestation with lice.
Phthisis/Phthisis Pulmonalis	Probably Tuberculosis
Pica	Abnormal craving to eat unusual things such as chalk or hair or faeces.
Pink Disease	Disease of teething infants due to mercury poisoning from teething powders. Pink Disease Support Group PO Box 134 Gilgandra NSW 2827 Australia. Contact, Heather Thiele Pink Disease Support Group Founder and Treasurer. Founded in March 1989
Plague/Black Death	Bubonic Plague
Plastic Bronchitis	Chronic bronchitis
Pleurisy	Inflammation of the pleura, the membranous sac lining the chest cavity, with or without fluid collected in the pleural cavity. Symptoms are chills, fever, dry cough, and pain in the affected side (a stitch).
Plumbism	Lead Poisioning (from Plumbum = Latin for Lead)
Pneumonia	Inflammation of the lungs with congestion or consolidation---caused by viruses, bacteria, or physical and chemical agents.
Podagra	Gout
Porphyria	Diseases with abnormal metabolism, sometimes genetically caused, with symptoms suggesting insanity (from the Latin "porphyrin" - purple substance excreted by porphyria patients) This disease was possibly the cause of King George III's "insanity"
Potter's Asthma	Tuberculosis
Pott's Disease	Tuberculosis of the spinal vertebrae
Pox	Usually syphilis. See Genealogical Pox
Protein Disease	Nephrotic syndrome. A once relatively common childhood kidney disease that causes the kidney to leak protein. Often a complication of streptococcal infection
Psychosis	A general term denoting and mental disorder.
Puerperal Exhaustion	Death due to childbirth
Puerperal Fever or Puerperal Sepsis	Childbed Fever. Infection through injuries to the birth canal leading to septicaemia and often to death. PF's cause was found in the poor antiseptic measures of physicians going from corpse to birthing mother without washing their hands. It was a hospital epidemic, flourishing when the birth site was moved from home to hospital. The midwives did not experience this problem to the same degree that doctors did. We see this is still the case. Though rare, the hospital bound mother is still more likely to experience this disease than her homebirth (and midwife attended) counterpart. (Many thanks to Carolee Hall for this description) It is understood that Jane Seymour, wife of Henry VIII of England died of this following the birth of her son Edward (later Edward VI) in 1537.
Puking Fever	Milk sickness
Pulmonary Consumption	Probably Tuberculosis
Purples/Purpura	This is a rash due to spontaneous bleeding in to the skin. There are many causes. The age of the victim would be relevant
Pus	A yellow-white, more or less viscid substance found in abscesses and sores, consisting of a liquid plasma in which white blood cells are formed and suspended by the process of inflammation.
Putrid fever	See Typhus.
Putrid sore throat	Ulceration of an acute form, attacking the tonsils and rapidly running into sloughing of the fauces (the cavity at the back of the mouth, leading to the pharynx).
Pyaemia	A condition in which collection of pyogenic bacteria circulate in the blood at intervals producing abscesses wherever they lodge.
Pyelitis	Inflammation of the pelvis of the kidney. Also -
Pyelo	Inflammation of the pelvis of the kidney
Pyelonephritis	A form of renal infection which spreads outwards from the pelvis to the cortex of the kidney.
Pylorus	The opening of the stomach into the duodenum (first part of the small intestine).
Pyrexia	See dysentery.

Quincke's Disease	Angioneurotic Oedema - severe and potentially fatal allergic reaction
Quins(e)y	A fever, or a febrile condition. An acute inflammation of the tonsils, often leading to an abscess; peritonsillar abscess. Synonyms suppurative tonsillitis, cynanche tonsillaris, paristhmitis, sore throat.

Rag-Picker's Disease	Anthrax
Railway Spine	Back injury with injury to the spinal cord (common in railway workers)
Raynauds Disease	A symmetrical disturbance of the circulation of the extremities due to vascular spasm. In severe cases gangrene may supervene
Regurgitation	A flowing back, as of blood returning from the ventricles into the auricle when valves of the heart are defective.
Remitting Fever	Malaria
Renal	Pertaining to the kidney.
Rheumatism	Any disorder associated with pain in joints
Rickets	Disease of skeletal system mainly due to Vitamin D deficiency
Rising Of The Lights	Croup
Rodent Ulcer	Type of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma)
Rose Cold	Hay fever or nasal symptoms of an allergy
Rose	See Erysipelas
Roup	Croup
Rubella/Rubeola	German measles
Rubeola	Can be Measles or German measles

Sanguinous Crust	Scab
Sarcomatous	Malignant growth derived from connective tissues. Is non-encapuled, spreads mainly by blood stream. Several types.
Scarlatina, Scarlet fever or Scarlet Rash	A contagious febrile disease, caused by infection with the bacteria group. A beta-haemolytic streptococci (which elaborate a toxin with an affinity for red blood cells) and characterised by a scarlet eruption, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis.
Scirrh(o)us	Refers to a growth, often a carcinoma, that was hard and strong due to dense fibrous tissue.
Scotoma/Scotomy	Disturbance of vision causing dizziness
Screws	Rheumatism
Scrivener's Palsy	Writer's cramp
Scrofula	Primary tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, especially those in the neck. A disease of children and young adults, it represents a direct extension of tuberculosis into the skin from underlying lymph nodes. It evolves into cold abscesses, multiple skin ulcers, and draining sinus tracts. Synonym - King's Evil.
Scrumpox	See Impetigo
Scurvy	Lack of vitamin C. Symptoms of weakness, spongy gums and haemorrhages under skin
Senectus	Latin for old age
Senile Decay	The non-specific effects of old age.
Septic Dermatitis	Skin infection.
Septic	Infected, a condition of local or generalised invasion of the body by disease-causing micro organisms (germs) or their toxins.
Septicaemia	Blood poisoning
Sequestrum	Piece of dead bone
Serum Sickness	Anaphylaxis
Shakes	See Delirium Tremens
Shaking Chills	See Ague
Shaking Palsy	Parkinson's disease
Shingles	Viral disease with painful skin blisters in a band or line on the body. Caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox
Ship fever	See Typhus.
Sigmoid	Shaped like the letter "S". Sigmoid flexure – an "S" shaped curve joining the descending colon above to the rectum below.
Simple Angina	Sore throat
Siriasis	Inflammation of the brain due to sun exposure
Sloes	Milk sickness
Small Pox	Contagious viral disease with fever and blisters.
Softening of the Brain	Cerebral haemorrhage/stroke
Sore Throat Distemper	Diphtheria or Quinsy
Spanish Disease	Syphilis
Spanish Influenza	Epidemic influenza
Spastic	Stiffness of muscles or joints.
Spina bifida	Deformity of spine
Spondylitis	Inflammation of a vertebra.
Spotted fever	Either Typhus or Menigitis.
Sprue	Chronic malabsorption with sore tongue, indigestion, weakness, anaemia and greasy stools
Squina(n)cy	Quincy
St Anthony's Fire	Skin disease caused by toxins from fungal infection (ergot poisoning). Saint Anthony was supposed to cure it miraculously. May be used for Erysipelas
St Vitus Dance	Ceaseless occurrence of rapid jerking movements performed involuntary. Complication of streptococcal infection.
Stenosis	A narrowing – stenoses.
Stomatitis	Inflammation of the mouth
Strange(u)ry	Painful urination or may mean rupture
Stranger's Fever	Yellow fever
Struma	Goitre (swelling of the thyroid gland at the front of the neck)
Stuffing	Croup
Sudor Anglicus	Sweating sickness
Suffocation	The stoppage of respiration. In the nineteenth century, suffocation was reported as being accidental or homicidal. The accidents could be by the impaction of pieces of food or other obstacles in the pharynx or by the entry of foreign bodies into the larynx (as a seed, coin, or food). Suffocation of newborn children by smothering under bedclothes may have happened from carelessness as well as from intent. However, the deaths also could have been due to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), wherein the sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant, while asleep, typically occurs between the ages of three weeks and five months and is not explained by careful post mortem studies. Synonyms of SIDS crib death and cot death. It was felt that victims of homicidal suffocation were chiefly infants or feeble and infirm persons.
Summer complaint	See Cholera infantum.
Summer Diarrhoea	Caused by inadequate hygiene.
Sunstroke	Uncontrolled elevation of body temperature due to environment heat. Lack of sodium in the body is a predisposing cause
Suppuration	The production of pus.
Surfeit or Surfit	Means vomiting from over eating or gluttony. If someone doesn't eat for a while and then eats a large meal they can become very ill and gluttony could imply obesity.
Swamp Sickness	Could be malaria, typhoid or encephalitis
Sweating Sickness	Infectious & fatal disease common to the UK in the 15th century. This could be influenza
Sycosis Barbae	Infection of the hair follicles of the beard area
Syncope	Dropped dead.
Synochus	Continued fever

Tabes mesenterica	Tuberculosis of the mesenteric glands in children, resulting in digestive derangement and wasting of the body.
Tâche Cérébrale	Red line on the forehead seen in tuberculous meningitis
Teething	The entire process which results in the eruption of the teeth. Nineteenth-century medical reports stated that infants were more prone to disease at the time of teething. Symptoms were restlessness, fretfulness, convulsions, diarrhoea, and painful and swollen gums. The latter could be relieved by lancing over the protruding tooth. Often teething was reported as a cause of death in infants. Perhaps they became susceptible to infections, especially if lancing was performed without antisepsis. Another explanation of teething as a cause of death is that infants were often weaned at the time of teething; perhaps they then died from drinking contaminated milk, leading to an infection, or from malnutrition if watered-down milk was given.
Testaceous Powders	Medicinal powders prepared from the shells of animals.
Tetanus Neonatorum	Tetanus in the new born due to infection of the umbilical cord stump following birth in unhygienic conditions
Tetanus	An infectious, often-fatal disease caused by a specific bacterium, Clostridium tetani, that enters the body through wounds; characterised by respiratory paralysis and tonic spasms and rigidity of the voluntary muscles, especially those of the neck and lower jaw. Synonyms - Trismus, lockjaw.
Thorax	The chest cavity
Thrombosis	Blood clot inside blood vessel
Thrush	A disease characterised by whitish spots and ulcers on the membranes of the mouth, tongue, and fauces caused by a parasitic fungus, Candida albicans. Thrush usually affects sick, weak infants and elderly individuals in poor health. Now it is a common complication from excessive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics or cortisone treatment. Synonyms - aphthae, sore mouth, aphthous stomatitis.
Thyrotoxicosis	Another name for Hyperthyroidism or over active thyroid gland.
Tick Fever	Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Tinea Sycosis	Infection of the hair follicles of the beard area
To(o)rmina	Acute wringing pains in the abdomen; colic, gripes
Toxaemia Of Pregnancy	Eclampsia (high blood pressure Oedema and seizures in pregnancy)
Trench Fever	Typhus
Trench Mouth	Painful ulcers found along gum line, caused by poor nutrition and poor hygiene
Trismus nascentium or neonatorum	A form of tetanus seen only in infants, almost invariably in the first five days of life, probably due to infection of the umbilical stump.
Trichinosis	A parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork.
Trypanosoma	A genus of parasitic protozoan, some of which are parasites of the blood and cause such diseases as sleeping sickness. Also -
Trypanosomiasis	Sleeping sickness. A tropical disease caused by a bite of the Tsetse fly.
Tussis convulsiva	Whooping cough
Typhoid fever	An infectious, often-fatal, febrile disease, usually occurring in the summer months—characterised by intestinal inflammation and ulceration caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi, which is usually introduced by food or drink. Symptoms include prolonged hectic fever, malaise, transient characteristic skin rash (rose spots), abdominal pain, enlarged spleen, slowness of heart rate, delirium, and low white-blood cell count. The name came from the disease's similarity to typhus (see below). Synonym: enteric fever. Fever commonly running a three week course, which is found in practically all the tissues and especially the Peyer's patches (see above) of the intestine which become inflamed and thinned out. A rose coloured rash appears on the abdomen, chest or back about the seventh day.
Typhus	An acute, infectious disease caused by several micro-organism species of Rickettsia (transmitted by lice and fleas) and characterised by acute prostration, high fever, depression, delirium, headache, and a peculiar eruption of reddish spots on the body. The epidemic or classic form is louse borne; the endemic or murine is flea borne. Synonyms - Typhus fever, malignant fever (in the 1850s), jail fever, hospital fever, ship fever, putrid fever, brain fever, bilious fever, spotted fever, petechial fever, camp fever

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