Beriberi (from the Sinhalese beri, 'weakness'), a malady common in India, Japan, and parts of Africa, which combines anaemia, pain, and difficulty in breathing, with dropsical and paralytic symptoms. It may be acute or chronic, and is not contagious, but infests districts.
Beriberi
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 2: Beaugency to Cataract, p. 91
Source scan(s): p. 0102