ves for being so rash and
bold as to take an enema twice a week, and begin to feel that they have
reached a point of positive danger.

One anxiety is that they will weaken the bowels by the use of a pint or
a quart of water once a month, or once or twice a week. Another is that
they will wash away the mucus, leaving the membrane of the bowels as
dry as an oven. Another is that they will form the dreadful habit of
using the enemata. What a pity to form such a cleanly habit! Sorry for
them!

Another stubborn objection is, that flushing of the bowels is not
natural. These foolish objections and fears can be attributed to
medical authors who belong to medical societies. It is very strange how
these authors adopt so many wrong notions about the physiology and
pathology of the bowels. What an erroneous and absurd idea that the
enema should weaken the bowels! Why should it? Exercise ought to
strengthen muscular tissue; and what could give the bowels more gentle
muscular exercise than the proper use of them? Has the reader any idea
of the amount of water requisite for the distention of an elastic
muscular tube, about five feet in length and two and a half inches in
diameter in the widest part? The large intestine is capable of great
distention, as is frequently demonstrated in fecal impaction described
in previous chapters. The quantity is named in gallons. The amount of
water usually injected at one time--from one pint to two quarts--can
hardly be said to distend the bowels at all. I wish the enemata did
have power to weaken that part of the bowel involved in disease. I am
very sorry it does not weaken it. For twenty years it has been
demonstrated to my mind that almost every case of chronic constipation,
biliousness, intestinal foulness, diarrhea, indigestion, self-poisoning
(auto-infection or auto-intoxication) was due to too much activity and
vigor of the lower bowels, this excessive activity and vigor being the
result of chronic proctitis, colitis, etc. To lessen this muscular
irritability, and to devise means to relieve and cure quickly, has cost
me more studious hours than the aggregate of all the other diseases and
symptoms of the lower bowels.

If liquids washed away the mucus from the mucous membrane, the throats
of many individuals ought to be very harsh and dry, inasmuch as six to
eight glasses of liquids pass through their mouths and throats during
every day of twenty-four hours. Even after the "dry feeling in t