Intestinal Ills / Chronic Constipation, Indigestion, Autogenetic Poisons, Diarrhea, Piles, Etc. Also Auto-Infection, Auto-Intoxication, Anemia, Emaciation, Etc. Due to Proctitis and Colitis

by Alcinous B. Jamison

They have no fear of drying the mucous membrane thereby; but if you can instil this fear they will increase the quantity with pleasure.

This second objection, being the result of too vivid an imagination and too little reflection, is a very nonsensical objection indeed.

A third objection is that if you begin the use of the enema you will have to continue its use; you can't stop, and, lo and behold! the enema habit is formed—a new habit in addition to the many habits civilized man is already carrying; the constipated habit, the physic habit, the sand, bran, sawdust-food habit, the muscular peristaltic habit, etc.—and with all these habits the poor victim of proctitis and intestinal foulness wonders that he is alive.

Usually the first symptom of proctitis is constipation, and for relief the enema habit should be formed and continued while the constipation remains. When the proper means are found to remove the intestinal inflammation—proctitis and colitis—then the constipation will disappear, and with its disappearance the enema habit can be discontinued. But let it be well noted that the enema is itself an aid in curing the cause, an aid superior to any other at our command. A cleanly habit ought not to be an objectionable one, especially in cases in which it is most needed to prevent toxic substances from entering the system.

A fourth objection is that after taking the first enema the constipation is worse.

With many persons a certain amount of undue accumulation of feces will excite a sufficient muscular effort of the gut to force the dried mass through the proctitis- and colitis-strictured bowels. This unnatural effort may occur once a day or once in two or three days, and has doubtless been a habit of many years' duration.

To introduce a new order of conduct on the part of the bowels requires time. If the bowels have been in the habit of expelling feces in the morning, and an enema were taken the night before, there might be no desire to stool the next morning because of the fact that the bulk or accumulated mass of excrement was no longer there to create a vigorous call or impulse for defecation.

But we have found the extent of local damage and reflex to the organs, and more especially the constant absorption of poisons into the system, due to the presence of feces. It is for this reason that the elimination of feces twice or thrice in twenty-four hours is advised. The condition for which an enema is used is one of disturbance and poison to the system. It is, therefore, a most unnatural condition. What is more rational, consequently, than to employ an "unnatural" yet not harmful means to bring about a more normal condition, one free from poisoning and irritating consequences?

A fifth objection is made by those who have as a symptom of proctitis a large development of pile tumors or hemorrhoids (distended mucous membrane). The objection is that at times these tumors or sacs prolapse very freely during the act of expelling the injected water. But this prolapse occurs in many cases whether water is used or not.

A certain amount of anal irritation caused by the passage of feces occurs, causing contraction of the circular muscular tissue that forms the anal and rectal canal, also of the longitudinal muscular bands and the levator muscles of the organs. The enema lessens or entirely diminishes the irritation of passing feces, and the natural result is that the serum-filled sacs, called piles, and the tissue loosened by the inflammatory product will more readily prolapse during the act of defecating. It is simply a choice between irritation of the stool keeping the tissue up and no irritation permitting a prolapse.