scrofula
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈskroʊfjʊlə/
- Archaic
:
escrófula
- Many people used to believe that scrofula was a disease only affecting the skin instead of understanding its connection to tuberculosis.
- cure scrofula
Examples
-
Infection of the cervical lymph nodes with tuberculosis (bscrofula) has increased in proportion with the current rise in the incidence of tuberculosis itself.
-
Even in its most advanced stages, scrofula alone was not believed to lead to sight loss.
Academic text (1990) -
Moreover, scrofula, although of long duration and improperly understood, was considered curable.
Academic text (1990) -
The lymph nodes of the neck are especially vulnerable to such infection, and when scrofula is untreated, painful abscesses and suppurations occur, which can affect the face and eyes.
Academic text (2011) -
Infection of the cervical lymph nodes with tuberculosis (scrofula) has increased in proportion with the current rise in the incidence of tuberculosis itself.
Academic text (2006) -
The doctor explained that scrofula can result in severe inflammation of the lymph glands if left untreated.
Synonyms
A disease that makes the glands in the neck swell
Swollen lumps in the neck caused by an infection, often tuberculosis
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word scrofula comes from the Latin scrofa, meaning 'sow', a female pig. People once called the disease this because the swollen lumps in the neck looked like the bumps seen on pigs, and it was long known as the 'king's evil' because kings were thought to cure it by touch. So today, scrofula still refers to a form of tuberculosis that causes swollen glands in the neck.