Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A disease of humans and animals caused by eating legumes of the genus Lathyrus and characterized by spastic paralysis, hyperesthesia, and paresthesia.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun 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.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun 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 The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From New Latin Lathyrus, genus name, from Greek lathuros, a type of pea, from Akkadian ladiru, type of plant.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Lathyrus +‎ -ism

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Examples

  • And except for brief mention, it does not include very local disabilities such as lathyrism (parts of India).

    Chapter 4 1999

  • In parts of India, thousands of farm workers who are paid with a poisonous variety of lentils suffer paralysis from ‘lathyrism’.

    1) Head Control and Use of Senses 1999

  • 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

    1) Head Control and Use of Senses 1999

  • The 4 biggest causes of ‘crippling’ in India, affecting over 2 million people, are reported to be polio, iodine deficiency, fluorosis, and lathyrism.

    1) Head Control and Use of Senses 1999

  • 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.

    Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

  • Victims of lathyrism, "crawlers", are numerous among the poor in Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh and Nepal where the affliction remains a present threat.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Cary Fowler 2010

  • Victims of lathyrism, "crawlers", are numerous among the poor in Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh and Nepal where the affliction remains a present threat.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Cary Fowler 2010

  • Eaten in quantity and over time, the toxin causes paralysis in the legs - lathyrism.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Cary Fowler 2010

  • Eaten in quantity and over time, the toxin causes paralysis in the legs - lathyrism.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Cary Fowler 2010

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