Glacier Dropsy - Strange regional malady mentioned on the drama NORTHERN EXPOSURE/CBS/1990-95. When Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) began to feel ill, the townsfolk of Cicely, Alaska recognized his symptoms as those of Glacier Dropsy. Joel, an expert in Internal Medicine insisted they were wrong and that he was just feeling the effects of tick bite, a simple parasitic infection. Soon Joel collapses and is put to bed. One by one his friends take turn overseeing his dilemma. Glacier Dropsy symptoms include Needlelike feeling in the bridge of nose, rash, tender groins, swelling knees and a temperature of 104.2 degrees. According to storekeeper Ruth Anne Miller (Peg Phillips), the pain caused by dropsy was the next worse thing outside of having a baby. Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum), the town restaurateur said once he had GD so bad that he put a shotgun to his mouth but luckily he was to weak to pull the trigger. Tea, Birchbark, and camphor were suggested as temporary remedies. Joel had to forgo taking aspirin, however, because the Dropsy would cause his tongue to swell up like a sweet potato. The GD victim knew he was on the road to recovery when he dreamed of a glacier. Joel commented he had dreamt of a white field of ice. At that he was cured. The people of Cicely have experienced other strange ailments and condition. Shelly Tambo-Vincoeur (Cynthia Geary) began to sing and couldn't stop for months: Diagnosis: Anxiety over pregnancy. Once she felt comfortable with her condition, her singing stopped. And once Ed Chigliak experienced Sleep Flying. Diagnosis: he was called to be a Shaman. To verify, he dug a hole in the ground and planted his fist. In a few days, if it was filled with roots (Vole food) the test was positive-it was. See also - NICKNAMES: "The Bubbleman" & PERFUMES & FRAGRANCES - "Only You"