Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A disease of humans and animals caused by eating legumes of the genus Lathyrus and characterized by spastic paralysis, hyperesthesia, and paresthesia.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A condition produced by the use of the seeds of Lathyrus Cicera and other species as food. It is characterized by formication, tremors, and paraplegia.
Wiktionary
- n. A neurological disease of humans and domestic animals, caused by eating certain legumes of the genus Lathyrus and characterised by paralysis and emaciation.
Etymologies
- From New Latin Lathyrus, genus name, from Greek lathuros, a type of pea, from Akkadian ladiru, type of plant.
Examples
“And except for brief mention, it does not include very local disabilities such as lathyrism (parts of India).”
“In parts of India, thousands of farm workers who are paid with a poisonous variety of lentils suffer paralysis from lathyrism.”
“Guillain-Barr paralysis (usually temporary) paralysis from pesticides, chemicals, foods (lathyrism) lump on back tuberculosis of spine floppy or limp weakness usually some loss of feeling”
“The 4 biggest causes of crippling in India, affecting over 2 million people, are reported to be polio, iodine deficiency, fluorosis, and lathyrism.”
“Ergotism from eating bread made with ergotized wheat is now rare, but _pellagra_ from the consumption of mouldy maize, and _lathyrism_, due to the admixture with flour of the seeds of certain kinds of vetch, are still common in Southern Europe.”
“Victims of lathyrism, "crawlers", are numerous among the poor in Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh and Nepal where the affliction remains a present threat.”
“Eaten in quantity and over time, the toxin causes paralysis in the legs - lathyrism.”
Lists
‘lathyrism’ hasn't been added to any lists yet.
hernesheir This debilitating condition comes in 3 unpleasant flavors: osteolathyrism, angiolathyrism, and neurolathyrism. Apr 29, 2010