noun
beriberi; thiamine deficiency
Medical term for a disease caused by severe vitamin B1 deficiency, historically common in East Asia.
江戸時代、白米を主食とする人々に脚気が多発した。
In the Edo period, beriberi was common among people whose staple food was white rice.
脚気は
Beriberi is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1.
Modern clinical term for thiamine deficiency; 脚気 is the traditional disease name.
From Chinese 腳氣 (jiǎoqì), literally 'leg qi', referring to the leg weakness and swelling characteristic of the disease.