Archaic Medical Terms Website

St. Johns Herald Newspaper
16 March 1901

While recently researching my ancestors in Historical Apache County Arizona newspapers - I came across this snippet on the death of my Great-grandmother's brother.

We often come across unfamiliar medical terminology that is no longer used when reading newspaper articles, death certificates, and even journal entries or letters. 

Here was one of those terms "Dropsy".  What in the heck is/was Dropsy?!  So I did an Internet search, and came across a wonderful online resource that I just have to share!   A great big THANK YOU to Rudy Smith of Georgia for all of his hard work & for sharing it with the rest of us!

Rudy's List of Archaic Medical Terms

Oh, and "Dropsy" could have meant MANY different things!  I counted around 28 different variations of Dropsy on this website!!   But just basic Dropsy is:

The dropsy is a preternatural swelling of the whole body, or some part of it, occasioned by a collection of watery humour. It is distinguished by different names, according to the part affected, as the anasarca, or a collection of water under the skin; the ascites, or a collection of water in the belly; the hydrops pectoris, or dropsy of the breast; the hydrocephalus, or dropsy of the brain, &c. [Buchan1785].

 

A collection of a serous fluid in the cellular membrane; in the viscera and the circumscribed cavities of the body. [Hooper1829].

 

Hydrops. [Dunglison1868]

 

Morbid serous effusion into any of the cavities; a sequel of many chronic diseases, particularly those of the kidneys. [Cleaveland1871]

 

Hydropsy. [Hoblyn1900]

 

Archaic word for Edema. 

Great family history find today!  I was exploring online historical newspapers for some other information, when I stumbled across this birth announcement for my paternal Grandfather!  I was SO excited and couldn't believe I even noticed it on that newspaper page.  What a little treasure.  1912

E.Z. Nielsen

The "fine big boy" mentioned in the birth announcement was my Grandfather, Edward Zenic Nielsen.  How I LOVE and miss him so.

Fred & Mary Nielsen's old homestead at Richville

Museum Web Site

Website for the Museum

 I have been working on a little website for the Apache County Historical Society Museum.  It is up and running, and is a work in progress. 


I had been frustrated that I really couldn't find any information out about the Museum online - so I determined to help it have a greater web presence!



Here is the website:  Apache County Historical Society Museum.  

And I have also started a new Blog that will chronicle some of the treasures I find as work on volunteer projects at the museum.   Adventures at the Museum

Museum Project

"Archives" at the Apache County Museum.

Let's see - can I add ONE more project (a LIFETIME project!!) to my list!?!?

It's official - I am on the Board of the Apache County Historical Society!!! So excited! Starting two volunteer projects there! I am going to create a website for the Historical Society; and I am also going to help begin cataloging/computerizing the collection there! My goal is to get the photographs and local histories digitized & then work with the Arizona Memory Project (through the Arizona State Libraries & Archives) to have them become part of the Memory Project (preserved & available online!!) Wish me luck!

99 Genealogy Things to Do

Love this Website!
Tonia's Roots Family History & Genealogy

And these are some great ideas!!
99 Genealogy Things

Latest Undertaking

One of my latest Genealogical Undertakings is to facilitate an area "users group" where I live. After teaching a series of classes at our local public libraries on how to use Ancestry Library Edition - some of the attendees wanted to continue meeting. I thought, sure, why not?! Thus the creation of the Round Valley Area Genealogy Users Group. One of the main purposes of our group is to explore Internet Resources for Genealogical Research. We also share ideas on how to organize, save, and preserve our research, photographs, and memoirs. And much more. The group meets monthly (currently on the 3rd Thursday of each month). I just put together a website for our group - you can see it here: Round Valley Area Genealogy Users Group

AZ GenWeb

Well - as if I didn't already have too much on my "plate"....I added one more thing this week - but I am SO excited about it! I am now the volunteer coordinator for Apache County's page on AZ GenWeb!!

AZ GenWeb - Apache County

I have always loved the GenWeb pages as some really useful information can be found within them! Of course all of that information depends upon volunteers, and since I am so grateful to those who have volunteered & created sites that have helped ME - I decided I needed to reciprocate! Besides, Apache County has an amazing history and it needs to be shared and available. It will definitely be a work in progress - but excited to get started.

So many volunteer opportunities out there.

Family Search Website - Update

Wow! I am SOOOOOOO excited to see the updates to the Family Search website! This is so exciting! I spent several hours on it today creating family albums, uploading ancestor photos & linking those photos to my Family Tree - all for FREE!!! And in the process found a couple of items of interest that other people had posted on my ancestors (some new photos I didn't have). What a blessed time to be alive!!! I LOVE and am SO THANKFUL for what technological advances have done for Family History Research & collaboration! When I first started my research in the early 1990s I would have to order Census films (or other microfilm) from the Family History Library in Salt Lake, wait.....very impatiently I might add.....for them to arrive at the local Family History Center - schedule a babysitter so I could go look at it, and spend hours browsing through thousands of names hoping to find my ancestor! Wow - what a few years & many advances (and lots of VOLUNTEER INDEXERS!) have done! Now I can get on Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org and type in an ancestor name and there they are! Print the image, save it to my computer, add it to my tree. What an incredible blessing that I am thankful for every day!

If you haven't seen the Family Search site & the wonderful things that are happening on it(all FREE!!) now is the time to check it out!
Family Search.Org

Also - YOU can be one of those wonderful individuals who help someone else find THEIR ancestor by indexing records! You can do it through Family Search:
Family Search Indexing

Or many project are available on Ancestry.com as well:
Ancestry.com World Archives Project

Strange Happenings

So my mother calls me last week and tells me about a strange phone call she had just received. Some 'research' company had called her and started asking her questions about her relatives, ancestors, etc. Said they were doing "Estate Research" for a distant relative who had passed away, no descendants, no will. My mom checked into it and they are a legitimate company, and what they are doing is "for real". So she may get a few bucks out of this whole thing (the distant cousin did not have a sizable estate & it will be divided among quite a few cousins) - but I am MORE excited about getting in touch with some cousins on a line that I have struggled finding information on!! When the whole thing is settled, they will share with my mom the information they have discovered in their research. I am also asking them to share my contact information with the cousins so that (if interested) they can contact me about Genealogy! I guess we just never know when a door may be opened....or how! I'll keep you posted.


FOLLOW UP: May 25, 2013 - SO EXCITED!! One of these cousins mentioned above found me on Ancestry & we are now in contact & friends on Facebook! So excited to find a new cousin!!! Just beginning to share information - it will be fun to get to know her & other cousins she can put me in contact with!!

More to come....I'm sure!