ptomaine poisoning

n. Food poisoning, erroneously believed to be the result of ptomaine ingestion. Not in scientific use.

ptomaine poisoning

n (Pathology) a popular term for food poisoning [C19: because ptomaines were once erroneously thought to be a cause of food poisoning]

Thesaurus

Noun

ptomaine poisoning - a term for food poisoning that is no longer in scientific use; food poisoning was once thought to be caused by ingesting ptomainesptomainefood poisoning, gastrointestinal disorder - illness caused by poisonous or contaminated food

Translations

ptomaine poisoning

(tō`mān, tōmān`): see food poisoningfood poisoning,
acute illness following the eating of foods contaminated by bacteria, bacterial toxins, natural poisons, or harmful chemical substances. It was once customary to classify all such illnesses as "ptomaine poisoning," but it was later discovered that ptomaines, the
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ptomaine poisoning

ptomaine

[to´mān, to-mān´] any of several toxic bases formed by decarboxylation of an amino acid, often by bacterial action, such as cadaverine, muscarine, and putrescine.ptomaine poisoning a term commonly misapplied to food poisoning. Contrary to popular belief, ptomaines are not injurious to the human digestive system, which is quite capable of reducing them to harmless substances.