aves one
with a feeling of emptiness and cleanliness. In other words, you should
feel that the colon has been evacuated thoroughly. Many who have
regular bowel movements do not have this satisfying sensation
afterwards. When the movement is satisfactory in every way little or
no straining is necessary. The colon simply empties itself
thoroughly, and the evacuation is then complete. However, few have
movements of the bowels that are satisfactory to this extent. There
should be at least one bowel movement of this kind each day. Two
movements of this character would be better, but one is sufficient if
thorough.

Do not acquire the idea that the bowels must move at a certain time each
day with unintermitted regularity, for they are subject to the same
extent as the appetite to what might be termed idiosyncrasies, according
to environment and other influences. For instance, you are not always
hungry at meal-time. Occasionally you eat very little or skip one or
more meals, and it would be a serious mistake to goad your appetite
with some stimulant or to eat a meal without an appetite. One can hardly
say that to force a bowel movement when its necessity is not
naturally indicated is as harmful as to eat a meal when it is not
craved, but unquestionably it is of advantage to have the bowels move
of their own accord, as the result of a natural impulse. Movements
that do not come through the call of an instinct for relief are rarely
satisfactory, and, though we strongly emphasize the necessity of
regularity of the bowels, it is not absolutely necessary that this call
should come at a certain time during each day; and though it is
undoubtedly of some advantage if such is the case, yet so long as there
is one evacuation each day of the satisfactory sort described, you can
be assured that your alimentary canal is in a normal and healthy
condition.

However, should the bowels fail to move at the regular time this need
not cause concern if you are feeling "up to the mark," and there are
no other symptoms that would indicate possible trouble. I mention this
alimentary peculiarity to enable my readers to avoid the slavish idea
that it is impossible to be in health unless the bowels move at certain
times with clock-like regularity.

Naturally when the contents of the alimentary canal are allowed to
accumulate for a considerable period and there is sluggishness
throughout the various parts of the s