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vancomycin

(Encyclopedia)vancomycin vănˌkōmīˈsĭn [key], antibiotic resembling penicillin in the way it acts. It is derived from the bacterium Streptomyces orientalis, which was isolated from soil of India and Indonesia....

conjunctivitis

(Encyclopedia)conjunctivitis kənjəngtəvīˈtəs [key], inflammation or infection of the mucosal membrane that covers the eyeball and lines the eyelid, usually acute, caused by a virus or, less often, by a bacill...

anaphylaxis

(Encyclopedia)anaphylaxis ănˌəfəlăkˈsĭs [key], hypersensitive state that may develop after introduction of a foreign protein or other antigen into the body tissues. When an anaphylactic state exists, a secon...

dysentery

(Encyclopedia)dysentery dĭsˈəntĕrˌē [key], inflammation of the intestine characterized by the frequent passage of feces, usually with blood and mucus. The two most common causes of dysentery are infection wit...

scarlet fever

(Encyclopedia)scarlet fever or scarlatina, an acute, communicable infection, caused by group A hemolytic streptococcal bacteria (see streptococcus) that produce an erythrogenic toxin. The disease is now uncommon, p...

tetracycline

(Encyclopedia)tetracycline tĕˌtrəsīˈklēn [key], any of a group of antibiotics produced by bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. Effective against a wide range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, tetrac...

boil

(Encyclopedia)boil or furuncle fyo͝orˈŭngkəl [key], tender, painful inflammatory nodule in the skin, which becomes pustular but with a hard center (see abscess). It may be caused by any of various microbes, the...

sprue

(Encyclopedia)sprue, chronic disorder of the small intestine caused by impaired absorption of fat and other nutrients. Two forms of the disease exist. Tropical sprue occurs in central and northern South America, As...

gonorrhea

(Encyclopedia)gonorrhea gŏnərēˈə [key], common infectious disease caused by a bacterium (Neisseria gonorrhoeae), involving chiefly the mucous membranes of the genitourinary tract. It may occasionally spread to...

appendix

(Encyclopedia)appendix, small, worm-shaped blind tube, about 3 in. (7.6 cm) long and 1⁄4 in. to 1 in. (.64–2.54 cm) thick, projecting from the cecum (part of the large intestine) on the right side of the lower ...
 

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