As to its being unnatural to flush the bowels with water, I would say that it is very unnatural to suffer from proctitis accompanied with its annoying symptoms, such as constipation, indigestion, diarrhea, auto-intoxication, emaciation, anemia, muddy complexion, foul breath, blotches and pimples on the face, each and all of which indicate a physical debasement.
It is unnatural to wear glasses, crutches, splints, wigs, artificial teeth, artificial eyes, but many people do such unnatural things. Many of our habits are not exactly "natural," but they are rational, none the less; such, for example, as bathing the body night and morning; cleansing the mouth and teeth after each meal; and the nostrils and ears several times a day. The frequency of these practices may, with some people, be unnecessary and useless, but no real harm is done by their scrupulous cleanliness—physical and mental.
Proctitis is usually worse than it seems to be. This is because of the insidious progress of the inflammation during the fifteen, twenty or more years before the local symptoms at the anus or in the anal canal are sufficiently annoying to compel the sufferer to seek treatment. Such sufferers are, as a rule, born with the idea that the liver regulates the whole alimentary canal; and if the sufferer has not this hereditary notion, his physician will soon impart it to him with his diagnosis and treatment. The disciple of cathartics, whether the cathartics be in the form of pills, powders, or solutions, or contain belladonna and opium to overcome the cramping pain the dose would otherwise occasion, has no legitimate reason to indulge in the hope of a cure or of even moderate relief of the real source of trouble—the proctitis. It is proceeding on the liver theory, when the key is, as has been shown in these articles, Proctitis, inflammation of the anus and rectum. Physicians ignorant of the key to all bowel troubles even prescribe strychnine in order to stimulate bowels which have already an excessive amount of stimulation due to the presence of the proctitis, which, as has been said, over-stimulates the lower bowels because of the inflammation.
The chronic character of proctitis of many years' duration, improperly diagnosed and treated, must necessarily compel a rather long and continued use of the enema, especially so if not accompanied by proper local treatment of all the inflamed surface. I should not care to treat patients suffering from proctitis, constipation, etc., unless they used the enema twice a day. The feces and gases should escape the bowels at least twice in twenty-four hours. Any less than two stools a days is abnormal and will result in infection and disease. You may not always succeed in having two stools when first treating the local disease, but what you properly start out to accomplish will be attained in due time.
Free evacuation of the contents of the bowels should occur at least twice in twenty-four hours. This can be accomplished by injecting into the colon from one to four quarts of warm water. Before taking the large injection, relieve the bowels of any gas seeking liberation, and of course, also, of whatever feces may come readily. Then take a small injection, using very little water: just enough to bring on a relief of as much feces and gas as possible. It is not well to drive the gas back and up into the colon; hence the precaution to suggest a further passage with a small quantity of water before taking the large injection.
Enemata, and also the use of the recurrent douche, can in no way be harmful—if the water be of a proper temperature—to a normal or even to a diseased bowel; therefore the fear of habit is absurd and should not receive a moment's consideration. The length of time during which the enemata and the douche are to be used, whether months or years, will depend on the character of the disease that made its use necessary.
CHAPTER XXIV.
MAN'S BEST FRIEND.
Travel the world from end to end