noun
- Plural of paludism; instances or cases of malaria, especially as caused by swampy or marshy conditions.
Usage: archaic or medical/historical; paludism itself is an older term for malaria, particularly malaria associated with miasma from wetlands
Examples
- The tropical paludisms were a major health concern for early colonial settlers in swampy regions.
- Nineteenth-century physicians attributed paludisms to the noxious vapors rising from marshes.
- The prevalence of paludisms decreased once drainage systems were installed in the lowlands.