# What was "brain fever" in the 19th century?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-brain-fever-in-the-19th-century/381139>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 20, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-brain-fever-in-the-19th-century/381139 "2006-11-20T13:14:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![cranston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cranston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cranston)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-brain-fever-in-the-19th-century/381139/3 "2006-11-20T14:00:36Z")

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[QUOTE=cckerberos]  
Well, the OED gives “a term for inflammation of the brain, ‘and also for other fevers, as typhus, with brain complications’”, so perhaps typhus?  
[/QUOTE]

It is interesting to read the old descriptions of cuase of death and speculate what their modern, true terminology would be;

‘Apoplexy’ was usually a stroke

‘Neuralgia’ must be chronic depression.

‘Blasphemous female pollution’ probably something to do with periods.

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