40 Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammation of the large intestine characterized by loose stools containing blood and mucus, and by tenesmus - painful and unproductive attempts to defecate. Diarrhea, marked by the frequent production of watery stools, may be confused with dysentery in historical accounts, but references to “bloody flux” refer to true dysentery.
The condition may be caused by an ameba, Entamoeba histolytica, or by several species of bacteria, especially in the genus Shigella. See Amebic Dysentery, Bacillary Dysentery, and Diarrheal Diseases (Acute), Chapters VIII.5, VIII.14, and VIII.35, this volume.K. David Patterson
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