It could be the disease itself or, perhaps, society wasn't psychologically ready to accept harsh measures.

It could be the dis ease itself or, perhaps, society wasn't psychologically ready to accept harsh measures.

Did you see what I did there?

American Dictionary of the English Language
Noah Webster 1828

DIS. A prefix or an inseparable preposition, from the Latin, whence Fr. des, Sp. dis, and de may in some instances be the same word contracted. Dis denotes seperation, a parting from ; hence it has the force of a priviative and negative, as in disarm, disoblige, disagree. In some cases, it still signifies separation, as in distribute, disconnect.

EASE. n. s as z. [Fr. aise ; Arm. eaz ; W. hawz ; Corn. hedh ; Sax. at or aeth, easy ; L. otium ; It. agio ; Ir, aisgaidh.]

1. Rest ; an undisturbed state. Applied to the body, freedom from pain, disturbance, excitement or annoyance. He sits at his ease. he takes his ease.
2. Applied to the mind, a quiet state ; tranquility ; freedom from pain, concern, anxiety, solicitude, or anything that frets or ruffles the mind.
   His soul shall rest at ease. Ps. xxv
   Wo to them that are at ease in Zion. Amos vi.
3. Rest from labor.
4. Facility ; freedom from difficulty or great labor. One man will perform this labor with ease. This author writes with ease.
5. Freedom from stiffness, harshness, forced expressions or unnatural arrangement ; as the ease of style.
6. Freedom from constraint or formality ; unaffectedness ; as ease of behavior.
   At ease, in an undisturbed state ; free from pain or anxiety.

DIS'EASE. n. dize'eze. [dis and ease.] In its primary sense, pain, uneasiness, distress, and so used by Spenser. but in this, sense obsolete.

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Mass psychogenic illness

I do believe that the psyche has a lot to do with illness. Our bodies definitely respond to what we don't.