Ergotism

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ergotism \Er"go*tism\, n. [F. ergotisme, fr. L. ergo.]
     A logical deduction. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Ergotism \Er"got*ism\, n. [From {Ergot}, n.; cf. F. ergotisme.]
     (Med.)
     A diseased condition produced by eating rye affected with the
     ergot fungus.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ergotism
       n : poisoning by ingestion of ergot-infected grain products;
           characterized by thirst and diarrhea and nausea and
           craming and vomiting and abnormal cardiac rhythms; in
           severe cases it can cause seizures and gangrene of the
           limbs