Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PAIN, n. Sc. usages:

1. As in Eng. Sc. combs.: (1) painless, n., usu. with def. art.: an anaesthetic (Sh. 1965); †(2) pain-piss, n., a kidney disease of horses (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Obs. in Eng. since 1614, phs. not in Sc. usage; (3) pipes o' pain, see Pipe. Cf. also Pike, I. 2. Combs. (4).

2. Specif. in pl., usu. with def. art.: chronic rheumatism, rheumatic twinges (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen.Sc.Rxb. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XIX. 129:
Several old people complain much of what they call the pains, or rheumatism.Peb. 1802 C. Findlater Agric. Peb. 11:
It would appear, from the Statistical Accounts, that chronic rheumatism (the pains, as it is provincially designed), is frequent among old people in the lower classes.Dmf. 1827 R. Chambers Picture Scot. I. 222:
The brownie of Bodsbeck, who, like all other brownies, was nothing more than a proscribed religionist, is remembered by tradition as a little grotesque creature, that, either from natural decrepitude, or from his wounds at Bothwell, or from “the pains” (which might have come upon him among the hills,) walked double, with his hands always lying on his back.Sc. 1841 Chambers's Jnl. (27 March) 78:
Poor Hannah became almost bedridden with her old complaint “the pains”, as she expressively called the rheumatism.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick xx.:
An' there's me: as fu' o' the pains as I can haud. It's a' I can dae to hirple doun the street.Fif. 1914 County Folklore (F.L.S.) VII. 409:
Rheumatism (“Pains”) is treated by (1) switching the affected parts with freshly-gathered nettles; (2) carrying a potato in the pocket; (3) supping turpentine and sugar, or (4) sulphur and treacle; (5) wearing flowers of sulphur in the stockings, or rubbed into blue flannel; (6) by inunction of bullock's marrow twice boiled; (7) rubbing in “oil o' saut” or “fore-shot.”Arg.² 1931:
I hae naethin much tae compleen o' for ma years, but, och man, I'm wild whiles wi' the pains.