Influence of Position.—Little things may mean much in the matter of the regular movements of the bowels. In my student days in France, our little hotel in the Quartier had the old-fashioned water-closets consisting of a hole in the floor in one corner, and a place to put one's feet properly beside it, thus reverting to the old-fashioned natural method of bowel evacuation. Some of the American students found it an uncomfortable proceeding at the beginning, but, on the other hand, some of them who had suffered from constipation in America were no longer troubled that way. I have found in quite a few cases of younger men that the suggestion to revert to this natural mode of evacuation helped in the formation of the habit of having bowel movements at a regular time. How much of the effect was physical and how much was mental seemed hard to decide. The suggestion was particularly valuable in my experience with patients of the better educated classes.
CHAPTER VI
NEUROTIC INTESTINAL AFFECTIONS
There is a whole series of intestinal affections dependent on nerve influence that get worse and better under stress of emotion or relief from it. Probably the commonest of these is constipation, which is dealt with in a [separate chapter]. Often these nervous intestinal conditions are associated with other neurotic manifestations. On the other hand, patients are seen who are absolutely without any other sign of the neurotic habit, and have nothing like hysteria, yet who suffer severely and rather frequently from intestinal neuroses. Most of the people who react symptomatically to the eating of strawberries, or of shellfish, or of pork in any form, or cheese or other milk products, also have a definite tendency to certain skin neuroses and to suffer from intestinal troubles as a consequence of emotional states. It is hard to trace [{279}] real causation in many of these cases, because it is so easy to accept the patient's expressions that they must have taken cold, or they must have eaten something that disagreed with them.
Neurotic Diarrhea.—But it must not be forgotten that nervousness alone, without any additional factor, may produce a disturbance of the functions of the intestines, and may even increase peristalsis and bring about severe diarrhea. Anyone who has observed students going to examinations has surely seen many examples of this. There are some individuals—fortunately they are rather rare—who always suffer from diarrhea when they have to take a serious examination. Some of these cases are pitiable because the effects are quite beyond control, and make it almost impossible for them to do justice to themselves.
Fright and Loss of Bowel Control.—Severe disturbance, such as fright, may bring on this paralysis of proper regulation of peristalsis, with consequent imperative intestinal evacuation. A classical case in history is that of James II, for whom the Irish soldiers invented a special name because of the tradition that he suffered from an intestinal accident in one of the battles with William of Orange. The imputation of cowardice on the last of the unfortunate Stuarts has been completely wiped out by the investigation of recent historians, and James' character for bravery has been thoroughly vindicated. The fact that the story should have gained credence shows that there is a general persuasion and popular tradition that such intestinal incidents do occur from fright. An incident told of the Franco-German War illustrates this, though I do not vouch for the facts. Wishing to test the bravery of some soldiers whom he was to send on a very dangerous expedition, and above all to try how they would bear up even before the threat of instant death, an officer of the French troops is said to have asked that half a dozen brave men be sent to him. Without a word, he announced that there had been treason in the ranks, and that the army needed an example. They were condemned to be shot. A platoon of soldiers was drawn up, the men were placed with their backs to a wall and they were asked whether they wished to be blindfolded. They refused though they protested that they did not know why they were being put to death. Then the word fire was given. All of the men, excepting one, fell down, though the guns of the firing party had been loaded with blank cartridges. The one who remained standing was told that he was the man who would be selected to go on the expedition, which, though perilous, was also of great glory for himself and profit for his country. He said that he was ready to go, but he asked permission to be allowed to change his clothing, as he had not been able to keep as good control over his intestinal muscles, as he had over his muscles of station.
Fright often has this effect in children. These stories and traditions illustrate the influence of the mind and of deep emotions over the intestines, and while only profound mental disturbance will produce the most serious effects, there seems no doubt that lesser emotions do interfere with normal function. This phase of the subject serves to strengthen the contention that over-attention to the bowels may bring about constipation by causing increased inhibition of peristalsis, just as severe emotional disturbance may paralyze inhibition and so bring about increased peristalsis with consequent diarrheal symptoms.
Habitual Diarrhea.—There are certain forms of chronic diarrhea, usually considered most intractable, that owe their origin and continuance to neurotic conditions of the intestine, rather than to any gross organic lesion. In these cases the bowels acquire the habit of emptying themselves two or three or more times a day, and the stools are seldom formed. All sorts of physical treatment are employed for these conditions, usually without avail, but whenever the patient's mind can be set at rest, and his attention distracted from his bowels by thorough occupation with some interesting work, the intestinal disturbance gradually becomes less annoying. Ordinarily, when stools have been frequent for a prolonged period, the case is considered more or less unamenable to treatment. So far as ordinary drug remedies go, this is true. What is needed is attention to the patient's mind, to his habits of life, and to his worries, and the way that he takes them. The illustrations given of the influence of the mind over the bowels should make it clear that this therapeutic principle can be of far-reaching significance and must be applied deliberately and with confidence in the results.
Worry as a Factor.—Very often it will be found that the diarrhea is particularly bothersome on days when the patient is worried. In a clergyman friend and patient who was building a church, the approach of days on which bills and notes became due, was always the signal for a diminished control over his bowels, and there were frequently three or four stools in the day. On his vacations, when eating unusual things, drinking unaccustomed water, exposed to changes of temperature, all the factors that give many people diarrhea, he was perfectly regular because the worries had been lifted from his mind. In another case, where for fifteen or twenty years a writer living much indoors had had tendencies to diarrhea, always made worse by worries, self-discipline and the refusal to let troubles occupy him by always turning to something else, did him so much good that he considered himself cured. In his case the return of a manuscript from a magazine would always affect his bowels unfavorably. If, as sometimes happened, he found that the manuscript had been returned only for some corrections, there would be an immediate relief of his condition.
Change of Mode of life and Intestinal Control.—An interesting phase of the neurotic or mechanical disturbance of peristalsis is found in the interference with regular movements of the bowels when persons are aboard trains for long distances, or for more than twenty-four hours. There are very few people who are not bothered in some way by such a journey. Those of a nervous temperament are likely to suffer from diarrhea. This is usually attributed to catching cold because of drafts, but in recent years, when well guarded Pullmans eliminate drafts to a great extent, the bowel disturbance continues. For the majority of people, however, constipation results. The cause of it seems to be due to a disturbance of peristalsis in the line of inhibition because of the vibration and jolting of the train. The more or less conscious assumption of definite positions of the muscles of the abdominal region in order to save the body from the action of the unsteady movement of the train, seems to be reflected in the sphere of peristalsis with consequent constipation. There are other features, such as a lessened consumption of food and water and absence of exercise, that seem also to have an influence. If the journey is for several days patients should be advised to walk out during the longer stops.