1. People who suffer from neurasthenia, a condition characterized by physical and mental exhaustion, weakness, and fatigue.
Usage: archaic/historical; plural form; primarily used in late 19th and early 20th century medical contexts

Examples

• Victorian doctors frequently treated neurasthenics with rest cures and tonics.
• The sanatorium catered to wealthy neurasthenics seeking recovery from their ailments.
• Many neurasthenics of that era reported symptoms of chronic fatigue and depression.
• The condition affected numerous neurasthenics during the industrial boom of the 1800s.
• Physicians debated the best treatments for neurasthenics in medical journals of the period.