Dropsy can be seen in literature, biographies and historical articles as an ailment of the rich and poor alike. But what was it?
Dropsy is an antiquated term for oedema being a collection of fluid stuck and building up inside body tissues and cavities such as the peritoneal space in the abdomen (ascites). Oedma appeared in the Middle Ages and is derived from the Ancient Greek odein meaning to swell. Dropsy even has its own saint – St Patapios of Thebes!
It is just as common today, being the effect mainly borne from cardiac or kidney failure, whereby fluids are not pumped around the body and filtered properly. Apparently, the Ancient Greek philospher Heraclitus of Ephesus covered himself in cow dung and laid out in the open in an attempt to cure his dropsy; the poor bugger got eaten by dogs – although this part is considered apocryphal. Cow dung is an ancient remedy and still considered a cure for skin complaints, rashes, irritations today in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Hmmm …
In 1369, Queen Philippa, wife to Edward III is considered to have suffered and died from a ‘dropsy-like’ illness, with many descriptions describing her weight gain and illness in the last few years of her life and in 1566, Nostradamus died from dropsy after years suffering with gout affecting his mobility. In 1662, Captain John Graunt published a booklet on his analysis of births and deaths in London between 1629 and 1660; out of the top 80 causes of deaths in that time, dropsy came in at No.9 with just over 9000 deaths with murder a mere 86 deaths at No.55. Interestingly, sitting at No.73 was 8 deaths by ‘wolf’ – I can’t go down that rabbit hole right now but I will! Although I have a feeling it probably means dogs.
In 1785, William Withering, a physician, botanist and chemist amongst other things, was the first person to experiment and write about the effect of a herbal remedy that he had been shown by a country wise woman – this remedy dramatically reduced swelling in the hands, feet and legs. Withering recognised the woman’s medicine contained the plant foxglove and after careful scrutiny and monitoring case studies, he noted the compound digitalis present in the leaves of the plant worked in relieving dropsy and heart disease (dropsy caused by renal impairment would not be known for a few more years). This is still a medication today, in synthetic form, known as digoxin.
March 15th [1776]. A poor boy, about nine years of age, was brought for my advice. His countenance was pale, his pulfe [pulse] quick and feeble, his body greatly emaciated, except his belly, which was very large, and, upon examination, contained a fluid. The cafe had been confidered [considered] as arifing [arising] from worms. He was directed to take the decoction of Digitalis night and morning. It operated as a diuretic, never made him lick [sick], and he got well without any other medicine.
Withering, p12
December 10th [1776].
Withering, p16-17
Afcites [ascites, abodominal swelling] and anafarca [ansarca, generalised bodily oedema], the confequence of very intemperate living … This [digitalis] produced a copious flow of urine, but not enough to remove all the dropfical [dropsical] symptoms. After a fortnight a stronger decoction was ordered, and, upon a third trial, as the winter advanced, it became necessary to use four ounces to the pint decoction; and thus he got free from all his complaints. In October 1777, in consequence of having pursued his intemperate mode of living, his dropsy returned, accompanied by evident marks of diseased viscera … In January 1778, I was desired to visit him again. I found he had gone on in his usual intemperate life, his countenance jaundiced, and the dropsy coming on apace … I again directed the Digitalis, which again emptied the water; but he did not survive many weeks.
Lifestyle still playing its part in our health conditions. Dropsy would have affected mobility and increased shortness of breath, a very uncomfortable way to be, especially before modern medicines.
Sources:
Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy by Alison Weir
The Western Medical Tradition: 800 BC to AD 1800 by Lawrence I. Conrad et al
Illustrated Medical Dictionary by The British Medical Association
Panchgavya: A precious gift to humankind – PMC (nih.gov)
Consumption, flux, and dropsy: counting deaths in 17th century London | The BMJ (oclc.org)
louisewyattsmusings 