I know that Uncle Tom's Cabin is full of neologisms, and I try my best to grit my teeth and infer as best I can without racing down every such rabbit hole that presents itself, but with rhumatis, for whatever reason, I can't quell my curiosity. I must figure out what it means (if anything). The passage for context, from Chapter 10:
"Now," said Aunt Chloe, bustling about after breakfast, "I must put up
yer clothes. Jest like as not, he'll take 'em all away. I know thar
ways—mean as dirt, they is! Wal, now, yer flannels for rhumatis is in
this corner; so be careful, 'cause there won't nobody make ye no more.
Question
What is rhumatis supposed to mean here? Given that flannels are usually warm, I'm curious if its something to do with the outdoors. Or perhaps its some kind of phonetic neologism? Can't think of any words that sound anything like rhumatis though.
Best Answer
Rhumatis is almost certainly a colloquialism for rheumatism.
In the era that Uncle Tom's Cabin was written, rheumatism was a catch-all term for what modern medicine recognizes as distinct conditions and disorders of the joints and muscles. It is no longer in professional or academic use because, like ague, grippe, catarrh, and so on, the causes and treatments for different manifestations of of "rheumatism" vary, and must be distinguished clinically.
Second, cold, wet weather has long been associated with arthritis pain. Whether the connection has scientific validity is a matter of dispute (some studies ascribe it to barometric pressure), but this is irrelevant, as Aunt Chloe would have been following customary beliefs and folk medicine. The substandard living and working conditions of slaves would lend themselves to choosing a durable and insulating fabric for clothing or blankets to ward off the effects of weather on one's rheumatism or, in the case of the children, perhaps help to prevent it.