jawfall
An archaic West Indian term for trismus—an involuntary prolonged spasm of the jaw muscles (lockjaw) that is a classic symptom of tetanus.
Definitions
An archaic West Indian term for trismus—an involuntary prolonged spasm of the jaw muscles (lockjaw) that is a classic symptom of tetanus. The descriptive name captures the visible dropping or locking of the jaw. In pre-vaccine tropical communities tetanus was common, and the condition could be fatal; the folk name reflects its prominence as a recognised disease of the region.
The surgeon feared jawfall had set in when the wounded man could no longer open his mouth to take broth.
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(archaic, West Indies) trismus.
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