noun
Archaic term for an infectious agent; modern Japanese uses ウイルス or 病原菌 instead.
明治時代の医学書には「伝染毒」という言葉がよく出てくる。
The word 伝染毒 often appears in medical books from the Meiji era.
Modern term for pathogenic bacteria or germs; 伝染毒 is an older, broader term.
Compound of 伝染 (contagion) and 毒 (poison), reflecting an older understanding of infectious disease as a poisonous contagion.