The Melena reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Melena

In medicine, melaena or melena is the passage of black tarry motions per rectum. It is often caused by hemorrhage in the stomach or duodenum (upper gastrointestinal tract), for example by a peptic ulcer. The black color is caused by the iron in hemoglobin that is oxidized during its passage through the ileum.

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