noun.
A disease characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the large intestine, mucous, bloody, and difficult evacuations, and more or less fever.
noun.
Recent researches have shown that there are at least two diseases, and possibly more, having the same general symptoms and still grouped under the common designation of dysentery. One form, distinguished as bacillary dysentery, is characterized by the presence of a specific bacillus, Bacillus dysenteriæ or Shiga's bacillus (so named after the Japanese physician who discovered it). Another form, amebic dysentery, is associated with the presence in the intestine of a unicellular animal micro-organism, Amœba dysenteriæ. This form is less acute in its onset than bacillary dysentery, but may continue for months or even years, causing great emaciation and anemia, and not infrequently leading to abscess of the liver.