dronksiekte, noun

/ˈdrɔŋksiktə/
Forms:
Formerly also dronk siekta, dronkziekte.
Origin:
Afrikaans, South African DutchShow more Afrikaans (earlier South African Dutch dronkziekte), dronk drunk + siekte disease, sickness.
Pathology
An illness of livestock caused by the ingestion of any of several poisonous plants, and characterized by loss of coordination, staggering, and shivering. See also dronkgras.
1896 [see dronkgras].
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 154Dronkziekte,..A sickness supposed to be produced by eating Dronk-gras. It is similar to that produced by eating the seeds of Lolium temulatum, L. known in the north of England as ‘drunk’.
1914 Farmer’s Annual 237‘Dronk-ziekte’ a disease recognised at the Cape, but the cause of which is unknown, or a matter of dispute.
1937 Handbk for Farmers (Dept of Agric. & Forestry) 466Shivers, Dronksiekte or Horsetail Poisoning, (Equisetaceae)...When animals which have eaten the plant are driven they become exhausted easily, stagger about, fall down, and are unable to rise.
1972 W.J. Lutjeharms in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. V. 596The plant (sc. Horse-tail fern) is poisonous to stock...The animals show symptoms making them look ‘drunk and stupid’ (‘dronksiekte’, equisetosis).
1981 J. Vahrmeijer Poisonous Plants of Sn Afr. 26Equisetum usually occurs in damp places, near water...Poisoning, especially in mules and horses, is known variously as bewerasiesiekte, drilsiekte, dronksiekte or shivers.
An illness of livestock caused by the ingestion of any of several poisonous plants, and characterized by loss of coordination, staggering, and shivering.
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Afrikaans
dronklap, nounn.droog-my-keel, nounn.
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