will be bought and paid for, in the end forgotten. The royal road, the
easy road, which they are looking for is impossible. There is no way by
which any one of us may continue to break the laws of nature and retain
or regain our lost health. Miracles are impossible. Prayers without
deeds are empty mouthings and a waste of time. Let us see how this works
out in the treatment of constipation. We must find the cause of the
constipation. I will name the causes in their order of frequency.

NEGLIGENCE.--This is unquestionably the primary cause of almost all
cases of bowel inactivity. As has been already noted, the exigencies of
modern life are of such a strenuous nature that we do not find the time
to devote to this function the degree of systematic attention which it
demands in order to preserve a healthy condition of intestinal
regularity. The bowel is simply a complex muscle controlled by an
elaborate system of nerves of an involuntary type. In order to preserve
the highest degree of efficiency of this complicated mechanism, it must
be permitted to obey the laws nature endowed it with and which it must
obey. When the fecal mass reaches the rectum the nerve centers, acting
through the spinal cord, send a message to the rectum something like
this: "Empty yourself of your contents, we have made all preparations
and everything is ready." The rectum obeys to the extent of notifying
you that it wants to be relieved; you feel the desire to evacuate the
bowels. If you obey, all is well, nature is appeased, you encourage the
systematic regularity necessary to good health. If you do not obey, you
upset the delicate mechanism, and frequent negligence of this character
will result in the complete disarrangement of this complex machinery so
that it will fail to warn you that a bowel movement is necessary and
constipation is established. We must therefore retrace our steps and
re-educate the bowel systematically to empty itself at a certain time
every day. This can be done in nearly every case without artificial
assistance. It may take time but it is worth a little methodical
persistence. The point is, you must do it; no "ism" or esoteric agency
can do it for you.

Mothers will recognize from this explanation the necessity of
establishing the habit in children at the earliest possible moment.

LACK OF EXERCISE.--What does the word exercise imply? It implies
movement, better circulation of the blood, better health and tone to
every