Definition

Noun: * Indian cholera: An acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of water or food contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is characterized by severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. This term is a historical name for the disease commonly known today as cholera or Asiatic cholera.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Outbreaks of Indian cholera were common in the 19th century before modern sanitation.
  • The medical journal described the symptoms and rapid spread of Indian cholera.
  • Historians study how Indian cholera influenced public health policies.

Advanced Usage

• The term "Indian cholera" is primarily used in historical, medical-historical, or anthropological contexts to refer to the specific pandemics that originated in the Ganges delta and spread globally in the 19th century. In contemporary medical and general usage, the disease is referred to simply as "cholera".

Variants and Related Words

• Cholera (n): The modern and more common term for the disease.
• Asiatic cholera (n): Another historical synonym for Indian cholera.
• Epidemic cholera (n): A term emphasizing its widespread, outbreak nature.

Synonyms

• Cholera
• Asiatic cholera
• Epidemic cholera

Notes on Meaning

• The designation "Indian" in "Indian cholera" refers to the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, which is recognized as the disease's historical endemic home and the point of origin for several major pandemics. The term is not used to describe the geographic location of a current case but rather the historical origin and type of the disease.

Noun

1. an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food