Diseases and Medical Terms

Diseases on Scottish death certificates from 1855  

Abscess                             Formation of  pus in any part of the body, caused by infection
Anasarca                           Widespread swelling of the skin, often caused by heart or kidney failure
Aneurism                            Abnormal widening of an artery
Aortic aneurism            Widening of the main abdominal artery often leading to rupture
Apoplexy                          Bleeding in the brain as a result of a blood clot, a stroke
Aphtha                               Painful ulceration in the mouth
Arterio-sclerosis            Fatty deposits accumulating on the walls of  the arteries forming plaques (atheromas)
Ascites                            Excess fluid in the space between the abdomen and abdominal organs 
Asthenia                          Loss of body strength, debility
Atherosclerosis              As for arterio-sclerosis (qv)
Atrophy                          A wasting away of tissue, for example atrophy of the liver.
Bright's Disease             A disease of the kidneys
Broncho-pneumonia      Same as pneumonia, an inflammation of the lungs caused by an infection
Carcinoma                      Cancer
Catarrh                           Inflammation of the mucous membranes
Cerebral haemorrhage  Bleeding in the brain resulting in a stroke
Cirrhosis                          Chronic disease of the liver causing scarring and liver disjunction
Consumption               Tuberculosis (TB). Contagious bacterial infection in the lungs
Coronary ...                Associated with the heart
Croup                                         Hoarse cough in infants caused by swelling of the larnyx, caused by a virus.
Debility                          A generally weakened condition
Diabetes mellitus           Disorder characterised by elevated blood sugar levels
Dropsy                           Swelling from an accumulation of fluid, an oedema
Dyspepsia                     Abdominal bloating - indigestion
Embolism                     Blood clots travelling through the blood stream causing blockage of the renal artery to the kidney
Emphysema                  Chronic respiratory disease of the lung air sacs.
Endometritis                       Infection of the lining of the uterus
Erysipelas                     Contagious bacterial skin infection, often on the face
Gastric ulcer                  A break or tear in the tissue lining the stomach
Gastritis                      Chronic or acute inflammation of the stomach 
Haemorrhage                Excessive bleeding, often within an organ
Hemiplegia                  Paralysis affecting only one side of the body 
Hemophilia                  Hereditary bleeding disorder, taking a long time for blood to clot.
Hydrocephalus              An excessive amount of fluid around the brain and spinal column
Hypostatic                    Setting of the blood by gravitation
Icterus                         Jaundice. Yellowing of the skin due to excessive bilirubin in the body.
Ischaemic                 Ischaemic means an organ, for example the heart,  not receiving enough blood and oxygen.
Jaundice                        Yellowing of the skin caused by too many red blood cells dying
Lobar pneumonia           Pneumonia affecting one or more lobes of the lung, often due to streptococcal infection
Lumbar...                      Connected with the back or spine.
Marasmus                        Severe protein-energy malnutrition
Medullary...                      Inner core of an organ
Morbus cordis               Heart disease (morbus-disease; cordis-heart)
Myelitis                           Inflammation of the spinal cord
Myocardial infarction  An area of the heart muscle dies as a result of a lack of sufficient oxygen, a heart attack.
Myopathy                       A muscle-related disease.
Neonatal...                    Referring to a baby of up to 4 weeks old.
Nephritis                       Acute or chronic inflammation of the kidneys
Oedema                           Fluid accumulation & swelling. See pulmonary edema 
Palsy                                          Progressive paralysis caused by damage to brain nerve cells
Paralytic ileus            Paralysis of the bowel wall resulting in blockage of the bowel
Peritonitis               Inflammation of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity
Phthsis pulmonalis       Tuberculosis of the lungs, consumption . Also spelled phthisis
Pleuritis                    Pleurisy, an inflammation around the lungs due to bacterial or viral infection
Puerpural septicaemia Infection in birth canal following childbirth, often causing death within 3 weeks
Pulmonary ...                         Associated with the lungs
Pulmonary edema         Fluid accumulation and swelling in the lung
Renal ...                                      Associated with the kidneys
Sclerosis                        Thickening or hardening of a body part, eg an artery
Senility                          Critical weakening and decrepitude of the body through old age
Seroma                        Swelling caused by accumulation of serum in an organ or tissue
Syncope                       Fainting, a temporary loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain
Stenosis                         Abnormal narrowing , a stricture , of a blood vessel or other tube such as the urethra.
Thrombosis                  Presence of clots in a blood vessel or in a heart chamber 
Tympanitis                  Infection of the inner ear membrane
Vascular...                      Associated with the blood vessels