William Musgrave's (16551721) System of Arthritides. Did it Include Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Abstract

Three dissertations on arthritis in Latin by the Englishman William Musgrave have been reviewed to find possible descriptions of rheumatoid arthritis. Polyarticular long-lasting joint pain in women are the cases most probable to be rheumatoid arthritis. This was found in 18 of 150 case stories. In the general sections the description of an arthritis after rheumatism has many traits compatible with rheumatoid arthritis. This sort of arthritis is reported to be frequent. It seems reasonable to conclude that rheumatoid arthritis was not uncommon at the turn of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The difficulties in diagnostic interpretation of old medical texts are demonstrated.

Key Words:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• arthritis
• rheumatism
• history of rheumatoid arthritis
• William Musgrave (1655–1721)