Last time we
talked about consumption and La Grippe.
Here are some more old names for old diseases:
Catarrh: Usually
meant the common cold.
The term was also
used for any inflammation of the mucous membranes, nose or air passages which
resulted in a thick discharge such as tonsillitis or inflammation of the
adenoids.
Of course, today the common
cold continues to wreak havoc on us all.
Viruses called rhinoviruses, among others, are the culprits so taking
antibiotics is of no use in treating a cold (antibiotics are aimed at bacteria,
a different kind of critter altogether). There are over-the-counter drugs that
can be taken to lessen the symptoms and duration of a cold, but basically we must
endure a cold just as others have done before us.
Ague: Malaria or a disease marked by chills,
fever and sweating at regular intervals.
Malaria remains a killer even today with hundreds of thousands of deaths
every year, particularly in children.
Malaria
is caused by a type of parasite of the genus Plasmodium that is injected into
the bloodstream by the bite of a mosquito. Before the discovery of quinine back
in the 1800’s, there was no effective treatment for malaria. Today we have
multiple drugs that are effective in treating the disease and prevention is
aimed at avoiding mosquito bites, eradicating mosquitos and taking medications
before and during exposure.
Blood Poisoning: Refers to disease causing organisms in the
blood (bacteria) or to use the medical term – septicemia. Before the discovery of antibiotics in the
1940’s, there was no treatment for blood poisoning so any type of would or
infection could prove fatal. Today, with
modern culture techniques to identify the bacteria and determine which
antibiotic works best for that particular bug, and the use of intravenous
administration of antibiotics, blood poisoning, in most cases, can be cured.
“The Pox”: Before
we knew what it was, syphilis was referred to as “the Pox”.
A venereal disease caused by the bacteria
Treponema pallidum; it has devastating
physical signs and symptoms.
“Google”
the term syphilis and click on Images to see the horrible effects of this
disease (warning – only for those with a strong stomach). First described in
the literature of the 1400’s, syphilis is still around today. Testing for
syphilis is well established and penicillin-type antibiotics (discovered in the
1940’s) is an effective treatment in most cases.