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When inflammation of the lungs is caused by bacteria inhaled through the air (including dust and vapor) it’s known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis. If said bacteria happens to come from the inside of a brass instrument, then it’s known as trombone player’s lung.
There are other variations of the condition, depending on the type of bacteria. These include “bird-fancier’s lung,” “sauna worker’s lung,” “snuff-taker’s lung,” “pigeon-breeder’s lung,” and “cheese-washer’s lung.”
The association with tailors comes from the fact that they spent a lot of time working on the floor, sitting cross-legged. This would cause the outside of the foot to be under pressure and rub against the floor.
Sitting on a wooden chair all day can lead to ischial bursitis. This is an inflammation of the bursa in the hips, aka weaver’s bottom.
Wool-sorter’s disease is a lung infection that is contracted by inhaling bacterial spores. It’s also known as pulmonary anthrax.
It was first identified in the 19th century among sheep shearers in Yorkshire, England. Bacteria such as bacillus anthracis (aka anthrax) could be found in sheep’s fleeces and inhaled as a result.
Sources: (Mental Floss) (Slate) (The New York Times)
See also: How hidden bacteria in everyday items can help defend against viruses
The inflammation is triggered by constant pressure (i.e. leaning on the elbow against a desk). This is also known as “plumber’s elbow” and “miner’s elbow.”
Tailor’s bunion occurs when the bony bump at the base of the little toe, where it meets the foot, gets inflamed.
Student’s elbow is the name given to an inflammation of the outside point of the elbow, known as the olecranon.
Lead exposure not only caused chronic constipation, but could also lead to a form of lead poisoning, known as colica pictorum, or “painter’s colic.”
Mercury in felt production wasn’t the only dangerous chemical exposure that resulted in nasty symptoms. The same occurred with lead in painting, which affected painters and paint manufacturers.
One of the symptoms of prolonged exposure to mercury vapors is chronic trembling of the muscles, hence the name “hatter’s shakes.”
The condition is similar to the one that afflicts clergymen, but the inflamed bursa is located on the front of the kneecap, instead of below it.
Back in the day, glassblowers didn't use protective eyewear, so they were exposed to infrared radiation emitted by the molten metals and heated glass.
This exposure could lead to the condition known as glassblower’s cataract. This eye condition is also common among blacksmiths and foundry workers.
Clergymen are not the only ones to have problems with their knees. Kneeling on hard floors like many women did for so many years, could lead to prepatellar bursitis, aka housemaid’s knee.
Back in Victorian times, mercuric nitrate was used to make felt, which was then used in the production of hats. Prolonged exposure to this substance could lead to mercury poison.
Gamekeeper’s thumb was first identified among Scottish gamekeepers in the 1950s, who used their thumb and forefinger to break the necks of animals such as rabbits
This inflammation is known as fiddler’s neck. The condition can become more dangerous when it develops into a bacterial or fungal infection and is left untreated.
Gamekeeper’s thumb is essentially a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. This is the ligament that attaches the bone of the thumb to the palm.
The violin is played resting the instrument against the neck. The pressure and friction can lead to localized inflammation.
The life of a chimney sweeper was not easy. The job sometimes required sweepers to take off all their clothes in order to fit into some tight spaces.
Clergyman’s knee occurs when the inflammation is located just below the kneecap. The name derives from the fact that putting all the body weight on one’s knees when kneeling in prayer can aggravate the condition.
As a person was cranking it by hand, the car could jerk backward suddenly, resulting in a fracture of the radius, known as chauffeur’s fracture.
Hammering shoe soles on one’s lap all day is not only tiring but it also leads to a number of micro-fractures in the legs.
These tiny and often painless fractures accumulate over time. The body responds by re-growing more bone, which over time leads to a bony growth known as “cobbler’s femur.”
Back in the day, there was no such thing as an ignition key. Cars would be started by hand, using the starter’s handle at the front of the car. A painful fracture could occur during the process.
The soot in these spaces could irritate the chimney sweep’s private parts and develop into a form of cancer called “chimney sweep’s scrotum,” aka “soot-wart.”
Clergyman’s knee is a form of bursitis. Bursitis occurs when one of the sacs of fluid that cushions bones and tendons, known as bursas, becomes inflamed.
According to a 19th-century dictionary, baker’s knee is a skeletal condition that affects the legs, making them bend towards each other and “closely resemble the right side of the letter K.”
The condition used to be common amongst bakers, likely because they carried heavy loads, such as bread baskets, while supporting the weight on one leg. This seems to differ from baker's cyst, which is when swelling occurs behind the knee.
You're probably familiar with conditions such as tennis and golfer's elbow, but sports are not the only activities that have ailments associated with them.
Have you ever heard of tailor's bunion, or baker's knee for instance? It turns out, there are many occupations that have conditions associated with them too. Some of these date back to Victorian times, or even earlier, and some are rarer than others, but all are pretty unique.
Curious? Click through to learn more about these work-related conditions.
Tailor's bunion and other work-related conditions
Old-timey occupational ailments you've probably never heard of
HEALTH Occupational
You're probably familiar with conditions such as tennis and golfer's elbow, but sports are not the only activities that have ailments associated with them.
Have you ever heard of tailor's bunion, or baker's knee for instance? It turns out, there are many occupations that have conditions associated with them too. Some of these date back to Victorian times, or even earlier, and some are rarer than others, but all are pretty unique.
Curious? Click through to learn more about these work-related conditions.