No, Consumption is not actually alcohol-poisoning...

Gout has been on my mind a lot lately this weekend due to my arm randomly hurting followed by a mysterious bruise later in the week. Isn't that lovely! I need some leaches. So what better an occasion to bring up some common 18th century ailments and what they were known as in their heyday.

Apoploxy - Stroke

Chrisom - Infant death

Consumption - Tuberculosis

Falling Sickness - Epilepsy

French Pox - Venereal Diseases, specifically Gonorrhea and Syphilis which weren't always decipherable to the Enlightened eye. One supposed cure was to consummate with an uninfected person.

Goiter - Enlarged thyroid gland usually due to iodine deficiency. This could, in turn, cause bulging eyes.

Gout - A form of Arthritis due to imbalance of uric acid. Aristocrats would commonly find themselves ailing of Gout due to their taste in rich foods.

Hemiplegy - Palsy, paralysis of one side of the body usually due to Apoploxy.

Looseness - Dysentery

Lues Venera - Venereal Disease

Lung Fever - Pneumonia

Morsal - Gangrene

Puerperal Fever/Sepsis - Sepsis of the womb or birth canal

Rickets - Lack of vitamin D or calcium resulting in bow-legs

Thrush - Infection of the mouth and/or throat

Tympany - Tumors