Historical Medical Conditions

noun a condition characterized by an excessive accumulation of watery fluid in the tissues or cavities of the body, usually due to a systemic disorder

• The doctor diagnosed the patient with dropsy, a condition characterized by excessive fluid retention.
• My grandma has dropsy and has to take medication to reduce the swelling in her legs.
• I heard dropsy can make you feel like a pufferfish.
• The company's financial situation was like dropsy, with money flowing in and out unpredictably.

noun a historical term for epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures

• Epilepsy, also known as falling sickness, is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
• My cousin suffers from falling sickness and has to take medication to control it.
• I heard that Jake's been having episodes of falling sickness lately.
• The stock market experienced a bout of falling sickness last week, causing panic among investors.

noun a physical condition caused by extreme stress or anxiety, characterized by weakness, fatigue, and mental exhaustion

• The patient was diagnosed with nervous prostration after experiencing extreme stress and anxiety.
• She had a nervous prostration after the big presentation at work.
• I feel like I'm heading towards a nervous prostration if I don't take a break soon.
• The constant pressure of the job felt like a slow descent into nervous prostration.

adjective relating to or affected by syphilis

• The patient was diagnosed with syphilitic infection and was immediately put on antibiotics.
• I heard that guy got a syphilitic rash after his trip to Thailand.
• Don't hook up with that guy, I heard he's syphilitic.
• The corruption in the government was like a syphilitic disease spreading through society.

noun a wasting disease or atrophy, especially pulmonary tuberculosis

• The patient presented with symptoms of tabes dorsalis, a form of neurosyphilis affecting the spinal cord.
• I heard that tabes can cause problems with walking and coordination.
• My grandpa calls his old computer a tabes because it's so slow and outdated.
• The tabes of our relationship became apparent when we realized we had grown apart.