The intestine is one of the main elements involved in the digestive process: it is responsible for extracting all the nutrients that food contains, introduces them into the bloodstream and proceeds to dispose of the toxins resulting from the process. This goes from the stomach to the anus, being precisely located in the middle of the abdominal cavity; It consists of two segments: the small intestine, which measures between 10 and 12 meters, and the large intestine, which is estimated to be 1 or 1.5 meters and consists of the cecum, the colon, rectum and anus. The term comes from the Greek "intestinus" and is also called the Visceral Tubular System. This, like any other organ of living beings, can be affected by different conditions; These include cancer, tumors, and the presence of various parasites.
Dysentery is a disease that affects the intestine and is characterized by constant inflammation of the intestine, especially in the colon area. This produces, in the same way, a diarrhea, which is accompanied by feces and mucus. If it is not treated in time, dysentery may cause death. It is caused by bacterial infections, parasite infestation, or chemical irritants; Among the most common species of bacteria that can cause it, is Shigella, as well as Entamoeba hystolitica. It is because of these two that, previously, the disease spread more easily on ships and, even on land, bringing with it more deaths than those accounted for by wars.
It is a disease that has been studied since ancient times, in texts ranging from the East to the West, known under the name of " belly flow." In Europe they used to calm the symptoms with egg yolks, while in America, upon the arrival of Pedro Mártir, with ipecacuana, a plant native to Mesoamerica, Brazil and Colombia. Until now, two types of dysentery have been determined, according to their cause: dysentery of bacterial origin, caused by specimens such as enteroinvasive E. coli and Yersinia enterocolitica; dysentery of parasitic origin, caused by species such as Balantidium coli.
