Med. [L. luēs plague.] A plague or pestilence; a spreading disease, esp. syphilis (Lues venerea); also, a contagious disease amongst cattle.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 86. [The bath] is preualent too against the lues venerea.
1721. Bailey, Lues, a Pestilence or Plague; also a Murrain in Cattle.
1803. Med. Jrnl., IX. 573. The reason why blennorrhagy so seldom produces lues, is [etc.].
1880. Barwell, Aneurism, 96. Many syphilitic persons have atheromatous arteries; but … a great number who have suffered from the lues have also had acute rheumatism.
Hence Luetic a. [badly formed, after herpetic, etc.], of or belonging to lues.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VII. 688. In contradistinction to atheroma, luetic endarteritis is limited to single arteries.
