16 Unusual Occupational Illnesses Through History

Spending hours hunched over a computer often leads to complaints like neck pain or eye strain. If your job involves constant walking, you’ll likely crave relief for your tired feet by the end of the day. Even diligent students or those who jot down notes by hand might experience task-specific focal dystonia, commonly called writer’s cramp. However, these modern-day grievances are trivial compared to the strange, hazardous, and downright gruesome occupational illnesses people endured in the past, 17 of which are detailed here.

Baker’s Knee

Baker’s knee is a skeletal deformity where the legs curve inward, resembling the right side of the letter K, as described in a 19th-century dictionary. This condition was prevalent among bakers who often balanced their weight on one leg while carrying heavy breadbaskets.

Chauffeur’s Fracture

Early automobiles required external hand-cranking to start, using a handle connected to the engine. A dangerous side effect was the risk of backfiring, which could violently jerk the handle backward, fracturing the radius—a painful injury known as chauffeur’s fracture.

Chimney Sweep’s Scrotum

Victorian chimney sweeps faced grueling conditions, often requiring them to strip naked to squeeze into narrow, soot-filled flues. Adding to their misery, the carcinogens in soot could irritate sensitive areas, leading to a type of cancer known as “chimney sweep’s scrotum” or, more delicately, “soot-wart.”

Clergyman’s Knee

A bursa, a fluid-filled sac that cushions joints, can become painfully inflamed in a condition called bursitis. Infrapatellar bursitis, affecting the bursa below the kneecap, is often dubbed “clergyman’s knee” due to its association with prolonged kneeling, as seen in clergy members during prayer.

Cobbler’s Femur

Spending a lifetime hammering shoe soles in your lap leads to numerous tiny, painless fractures in the thighbones. While the body can heal these fractures by regenerating bone, decades of repetitive stress can result in a significant bony growth known as “cobbler’s femur.”

Fiddler’s Neck

Excessive violin playing can cause inflammation where the instrument rests against the neck, a condition termed “fiddler’s neck.” While often caused by friction and pressure, older instruments can introduce bacterial or fungal infections, leading to severe complications if untreated.

Gamekeeper’s Thumb

Gamekeeper’s thumb results from damage to the ulnar collateral ligament, which connects the thumb’s base to the hand. First identified in the 1950s, this injury was common among Scottish gamekeepers who killed large game, like rabbits, by breaking their necks between the thumb and forefinger. The repeated strain on the ligament often led to painful tears.

Glassblower’s Cataract

Exposure to radiation from heating glass or molten metal in furnaces, before the advent of protective eyewear, often led to the development of glassblower’s cataract in workers’ eyes. This condition was also prevalent among blacksmiths and foundry workers.

Hatter’s Shakes

Lewis Carroll’s Mad Hatter had a basis in reality. In the 19th century, hatmakers used mercuric nitrate in felt production, exposing them to toxic mercury vapors. This led to various physical and mental health issues, including a chronic muscle tremor known as hatter’s shakes.

Housemaid’s Knee

In the Victorian era, housemaids spent countless hours kneeling on hard wooden floors, leading to a condition known as prepatellar bursitis or housemaid’s knee. This inflammation of the bursa in front of the kneecap is similar to, but slightly higher than, clergyman’s knee.

Painter’s Colic

While mercury affected hatmakers, painters and paint manufacturers suffered from chronic constipation due to lead exposure. This severe condition, called colica pictorum or painter’s colic, was a form of lead poisoning. It was also known as “Devonshire colic” after outbreaks in 17th-century Devon, caused by lead in local cider presses.

Student’s Elbow

Olecranon bursitis, an inflammation of the elbow’s outer point, often results from prolonged pressure, such as leaning on desks while studying. This condition is also called “plumber’s elbow” or “miner’s elbow,” but it’s most commonly known as “student’s elbow.”

Tailor’s Bunion

A tailor’s bunion is a painful inflammation at the base of the little toe, causing a hard growth. Historically, tailors were prone to this condition due to sitting cross-legged on the floor for long periods, which caused the outer edge of their feet to rub against the ground.

Trombone-Player’s Lung

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis refers to lung inflammation caused by inhaling bacteria-laden dust, vapor, or air. When the bacteria originate from brass instruments, it’s called trombone-player’s lung. Similar conditions include “sauna worker’s lung,” “bird-fancier’s lung,” “pigeon-breeder’s lung,” “cheese-washer’s lung,” and “snuff-taker’s lung,” each linked to different bacterial sources.

Weaver’s Bottom

Sitting on hard wooden chairs while weaving for long hours can lead to ischial bursitis, a painful inflammation of the bursa cushioning the ischium bone in the hip. This condition is commonly referred to as weaver’s bottom.

Wool-sorter’s Disease

Also called rag-picker’s disease or sheepshearer’s lung, wool-sorter’s disease is more formally known as pulmonary anthrax. First identified among Yorkshire sheepshearers in the 19th century, it results from inhaling bacteria found in sheep’s fleeces, including the dangerous bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax.