noun
- a disease caused by eating grain or grain products contaminated with ergot fungus, characterized by gangrene, convulsions, or hallucinations
Usage: medical; historical
Examples
- Medieval populations sometimes suffered from ergotism after consuming rye bread infected with ergot fungus.
- Ergotism caused severe vasoconstriction that could lead to gangrene of the extremities.
- Some historians believe ergotism may have contributed to the symptoms reported during the Salem witch trials.
- The outbreak of ergotism in the village was traced to contaminated grain stored in damp conditions.
- Ergotism is now rare in developed countries due to modern grain inspection and storage practices.