marthambles

alternative Marthambles · alternative markambles

1. obsoleteuncountableA particular ailment unknown to, and uncurable by, medical science

   If you can manage an attack of the Marthambles, we could persuade one to say an incantation over you. You would then be anointed with infallible remedies -- say, live earworms mashed into alcohol.

   1971, Dorothy Dunnett, The Ringed Castle, Vintage, published 1997, →ISBN, page 224

   2 more examples

   These are to give notice, (for the benefit of the public,) that there is newly arrived from his travels, a gentleman, who, after above forty years' study, hath, by a wonderful blessing on his endeavours, discovered, as well the nature as the infallible cure of several strange diseases, which (though as yet not known to the world) he will plainly demonstrate to any ingenious artist, to be the greatest causes of the most common distempers incident to the body of man. The names of which take as follow : / The strong fives / The marthambles / The moon-pall / The hockogrocle.

   circa 1700, Dr. Tufts, handbill, as reproduced in Relics of Literature by Ruben Percy, published 1828, page 218

   […] Abse, a member of the afterguard, whose complaint was known as the marthambles at sea and griping of the guts by land, a disease whose cause Stephen did not know and whose symptoms he could only render more nearly bearable by opiates […]

   1991, Patrick O'Brian, The Nutmeg of Consolation, →ISBN, page 132