Definition

Noun: * A severe, often fatal form of gastroenteritis occurring in infants and young children, historically characterized by symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. It is not true cholera but shares similar clinical symptoms.

Usage Notes

• Historical Term: "Cholera infantum" is primarily a historical medical term from the 19th and early 20th centuries. It described a severe childhood illness, often linked to poor sanitation and hot summer months, before modern understanding of specific pathogens like viruses and bacteria.
• Not True Cholera: It is critical to note that this condition, despite its name, is not caused by the bacterium, which causes the disease known as cholera. The name derives from the similarity in symptoms, particularly profuse diarrhea.
• Modern Context: In contemporary medicine, the symptoms described by "cholera infantum" would be diagnosed as severe gastroenteritis, dehydration, or specific infections like rotavirus. The term is rarely used in current clinical practice.

Examples

• Historical records show that cholera infantum was a leading cause of infant mortality in crowded urban areas during the summer.
• The doctor's journal from 1890 described several cases of cholera infantum, noting the rapid dehydration of the afflicted children.

Advanced Usage

• The term may appear in historical texts, medical history discussions, or analyses of past public health challenges.

Variants and Related Words

• Gastroenteritis (n): Inflammation of the stomach and intestines, typically resulting from infection and causing diarrhea and vomiting. This is the modern general term for the condition.
• Infantile Diarrhea (n): A descriptive, non-specific term for severe diarrhea in infants.
• Summer Diarrhea (n): Another historical term for seasonal outbreaks of severe gastroenteritis in children.

Synonyms

• Severe infantile gastroenteritis (descriptive synonym)
• Historical: summer complaint, weaning brash

Antonyms

• There is no direct medical antonym. In a general sense, health or well-being would be opposite states.

Notes on Related Phrases

• As a fixed noun phrase, "cholera infantum" does not have associated phrasal verbs or idioms. It functions as a single medical term.

Noun

1. often fatal form of gastroenteritis occurring in children; not true cholera but having similar symptoms