Disease
In the 18th century, the art of healing was in the hands of apothecaries who learned what little they knew when serving apprenticeship to uneducated country surgeons. Their fees were small. The panacea for every disease was blood-letting, and in those days there was more bloodshed in peace than in war. Even in perfect health, a gentleman thought that he could not preserve his constitution unless at certain seasons of the year he ‘let blood.’ (The withdrawal of often considerable quantities of blood from a patient in the hopeful belief that this would cure or prevent a great many illnesses and diseases.)
Sanitation was unknown and epidemics passed with fatal virulence over the population. Two peculiarly Scottish diseases of the 18th century were sibhens and croup. Sibhens, a troublesome infectious disease prevailing in the south-west of Scotland, first appeared as a sore throat with glandular enlargement, and later produced pustules on the skin which ulcerated deeply, together with small hard knots of a reddish colour, later developing into growths resembling raspberries. It is supposed to have been introduced by Cromwell's soldiers, and to have been identical with yaws, a disease prevalent in West Africa and carried by negro slaves. It gradually died out.
Causes of Death found in records: decay, dropsy, water in head, mortification, gravel, teething (infants), water in chest, chin cough, trouble in head, bowel complaint, old age, cramp in stomach, brain fever, scorophly, bowel hive, decline of life, asphalasm, fever by broken leg, nerves, elest passion meaning violent suffering, fever of worms, hyshicks, apoplexy, gout in the head, trouble in the head, sore throat, inward complaint.
People lived poorly and died young; the high death rate was remarkable, nearly two-thirds of the population died in childhood, and the deaths of adult females doubled those of adult men.
Sanitation was unknown and epidemics passed with fatal virulence over the population. Two peculiarly Scottish diseases of the 18th century were sibhens and croup. Sibhens, a troublesome infectious disease prevailing in the south-west of Scotland, first appeared as a sore throat with glandular enlargement, and later produced pustules on the skin which ulcerated deeply, together with small hard knots of a reddish colour, later developing into growths resembling raspberries. It is supposed to have been introduced by Cromwell's soldiers, and to have been identical with yaws, a disease prevalent in West Africa and carried by negro slaves. It gradually died out.
Causes of Death found in records: decay, dropsy, water in head, mortification, gravel, teething (infants), water in chest, chin cough, trouble in head, bowel complaint, old age, cramp in stomach, brain fever, scorophly, bowel hive, decline of life, asphalasm, fever by broken leg, nerves, elest passion meaning violent suffering, fever of worms, hyshicks, apoplexy, gout in the head, trouble in the head, sore throat, inward complaint.
People lived poorly and died young; the high death rate was remarkable, nearly two-thirds of the population died in childhood, and the deaths of adult females doubled those of adult men.