sick

So in various readings one idea of illness I've come across (very new age, to be sure) is that this life, this box, this room, is merely something we have inflicted upon ourselves to teach us. It has nothing to do with our souls except to gather information. I suppose that in this sense, sickness is a way of maintaining the illusion that the box is real, so we don't get distracted. To relieve illness, we simply need to recognize it as merely an illusion.

Another idea is that illness comes from imbalance - of the humours, of the hot and cold influences on life, what have you. Being sick is a way of signaling you need to rebalance your life. Once balance is restored - usually by dosing yourself with opposing influences - you will no longer be sick.

Then there is the whole invading virus/parasite/infection theory. White blood cells work to destroy the invading cause of your illness, and when enough has been destroyed, you feel better.

Of course, there is also the variety of invading evil spirits, malignant forces, that kind of thing.

Regardless, the best thing I can think of to do right now, wrapped in flannel and blankets, with my throat so sore I can barely swallow and every joint aching (I was never previously this aware of my pinky finger joints) is to have some hot tea with honey, and lie down and sleep until it all goes away. I don't really care what caused it, as long as I know that it will disappear eventually. Then I can forget that I'm mortal again.

Sick (?), a. [Compar. Sicker (?); superl. Sickest.] [OE. sek, sik, ill, AS. seoc; akin to OS. siok, seoc, OFries. siak, D. ziek, G. siech, OHG. sioh, Icel. sjkr, Sw. sjuk, Dan. syg, Goth. siuks ill, siukan to be ill.]

1.

Affected with disease of any kind; ill; indisposed; not in health. See the Synonym under Illness.

Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever. Mark i. 30.

Behold them that are sick with famine. Jer. xiv. 18.

2.

Affected with, or attended by, nausea; inclined to vomit; as, sick at the stomach; a sick headache.

3.

Having a strong dislike; disgusted; surfeited; -- with of; as, to be sick of flattery.

He was not so sick of his master as of his work. L'Estrange.

4.

Corrupted; imperfect; impaired; weakned.

So great is his antipathy against episcopacy, that, if a seraphim himself should be a bishop, he would either find or make some sick feathers in his wings. Fuller.

Sick bay Naut., an apartment in a vessel, used as the ship's hospital. -- Sick bed, the bed upon which a person lies sick. -- Sick berth, an apartment for the sick in a ship of war. -- Sick headache Med., a variety of headache attended with disorder of the stomach and nausea. -- Sick list, a list containing the names of the sick. -- Sick room, a room in which a person lies sick, or to which he is confined by sickness. [These terms, sick bed, sick berth, etc., are also written both hyphened and solid.]

Syn. -- Diseased; ill; disordered; distempered; indisposed; weak; ailing; feeble; morbid.

© Webster 1913.

Sick, n.

Sickness.

Chaucer.

© Webster 1913.

Sick, v. i.

To fall sick; to sicken.

Shak.

© Webster 1913.