An archaic medical term for a type of dropsy or abnormal swelling caused by fluid accumulation in the tissues beneath the skin.
From Greek 'kata' (down, under) + 'sarx' (flesh), literally meaning 'under the flesh.' This term appeared in ancient Greek medical texts and was revived during the medieval period.
Medieval doctors would have been fascinated by modern understanding of edema—they had no idea that water retention could be caused by kidney disease, heart problems, or liver failure, yet they carefully described the symptoms they observed.
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