Brain Fever A condition that often afflicted broken-hearted women in 19th century literature, brain fever usually referred to meningitis, an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal chord. In this story, brain fever and meningitis were counted together, because flare-ups of both conditions seemed to occur together in the same months.

Cholera/Cholera infantum Cholera is an acute bacterial infection that caused cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. An outbreak between 1881 and 1896 claimed thousands of American lives. Cholera infantum was a common condition that affected newborns, especially in poor families. It was prevalent in the western and southern U.S. during the summer and fall, and caused similar symptoms as cholera. In this article, the two are counted as one disease wherever they affected young children.

Consumption Another condition that was often romanticized in western literature, Consumption is tuberculosis. Caused by a bacterial infection, tuberculosis causes night sweats, coughing and wasting. It flourishes in close quarters, and (slowly) killed as much as 30 percent of the population of 19th-century Paris. Effective treatments werent found until the mid 20th century.

Croup A respiratory infection that causes a severe, distinctive barking cough.

Diphtheria A bacterial infection that caused a tough grey spider web-like membrane to form over the throat, making it difficult to breathe. Most often seen in children.

Dropsy an accumulation of fluid in the lungs or other body tissues. Often a symptom of what is now known as Chronic Heart Failure.

The Grippe An archaic term for influenza, which could be much more deadly in the time before the advent of effective infection control methods and modern medications.

Scarlet Fever/scarletina A contagious bacterial infection, causing a characteristic red rash, fever, and tonsillitis. It was often fatal in children.

Smallpox Caused by either of two variola viruses, smallpox caused a disfiguring rash of red blisters. About 80 percent of children who were infected died. People who survived often went blind.

Typhoid/typhus Typhoid is an often fatal bacterial infection that was especially common in the summer. It caused high fever, rash, delirium and stomach problems, and was also known as enteric fever. Transmitted by parasitic insects, typhus often resembled typhoid, and caused high fever, delirium and red spots. It had many other names, including ship fever, jail fever, spotted fever and camp fever.

The Vapors Another name for female hysteria, a catch-all term for any condition that afflicted womens emotional state. It may have included everything from seizure disorders to depression to panic attacks. Curiously, doctors invented a number of vibrating devices, which seemed to alleviate the symptoms of this condition. In the 20th century, cases of hysteria dropped off dramatically.

Yellow Fever Still common in some tropical countries, yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes, and caused liver damage, bleeding, vomiting, jaundice and fever.