Litchfield enquirer., 1857-09-10
CONstipatiOn-Cause-CUre.

V2 II catalogue of Chronic Diseases, one concerning which am often written to, and consulted from every section of the Uni ed States and called upon to prescribe for as Constipation of the Bowels. It would seem to be tle diS,sc of the country and like most other Chronic Diseases, find las been treated under total lnisapp pprchcnsion as regards the True ctu~ of the Disease. will in my advertisement of this week. give what conceive to be correct view of it's causcs-a view, am aware, that is opposed by the great mass of the prufcssion but which is srcnuOllsly advocated iy few, and those few from their research and close study stand at the head of their pr"teSsion and from whom am indebted to having been converted from the old beaten trlrk laid down ill the books l,ld lcI to embrace my pre- sent belief. With view to making the matter in tclligibe to the general rc.,(cl (which is very difficult thing to do,) l shall cndcavor to simplify the matter as much as possible, in the hope that 1 may be followed without difficulty.
 Constipation iS of two kinds, or perhaps ought rather to say, that it arises from two and entirely dissimilar states of the system, viz in those that are of a lean and spare habit, and in those of bust and healthy appearance. We will first take into consideration the former, and the first question to be propounded and answered is,
 Why are the bowels irregular re tards their tion-why do they not move with more regularity and freqncncy-wly the delay in the to.cal matter being cjcctcd!
 For the very good reason that the natural stimulus to action, or tine contraction of the plretcs of the bowels upon their contents is absent they do not act because that which sets them in motion that 
 scIuent exp Hing of their contents is not present to excite or bring about this action or contractinn
 What is this natural stimulus or cNctor of the action of the bowels!
 Their contents--the fmcal matter and which must bG of certain bulk. or some or ounces in weight. before it become cXcitor of the contraction of the bowels. The reason then, why no evacuation takes placc-vhy the bowels irregular is le- there is no tntat matter there t" be cXpec'l, and of course, if there is nothing to be tX>clCd nO be ryuIltu ter sent out of the bowels, because it is not n them: it is not because the bowels unadh to discharge their contents but because they have contents to discharge.
 there may be q small quantity, ana hut d small 4uantlty, not enough at any rate, from its bulk rr wei sht to excite c,ntrtction but as some ) or ounces present in the bowels their m'lScnl IT coats will just certainly. by the weight of their contents, be stimulated and forced into conrc tlr and the eNpellllg of their contents. aS the womb will, ut the end of nine months. from the weight ot its contents, rNcl the trtns, or as the bladder will eXpcl it's contents when certain quantity shall have been Sccrcted there. It i, Il law of the cc"o- my and until their is sufficient weight or bulk with in the intcstinc>, sufficient to stimulate them to con tract, there will be evacuation, and of course n" evacuation is needed.
 At this point l will take occasion to remark that under this view of tic of ilrrgmlarity of the bowels, one can very readily see how perfectly Ii dicuo'ls and nons,nS,al and how entirely useless is the administration of purgative meli,incS in Con stimtion. You take puIgLtivc or laxative mc'!i- cines, and for what '-why, to cxlcl from the bow els that which is not there to force them to con tract and expcI, when there is nothing to eNpel. Purgative medicines in Constipation, are not only useless, but very injurious. shall anl their administration is the height of cmpy,icsn. Let the bowels alone until the proper time arrives for their evacuation. or until they need to he evacuated and rest assured they will perform ther functions with out the help of any drngs. Let them alone. and shall hny, fed to of some or ounces, they will most certainly con tract upon and eNpcl their contents.
 The next question in order is. ,.,.s
 Why is net fecal matter present-why has it no been wi h more regularity and with more frrquenc. deposited to become an eAcitol to contrac l i of the bowels, and the consequent expulsion of tIe contents!
 For the reason that as the eces are a true secretion from Me blood and the patient from his lean. lank lantern jawed appearance shows very plainly that h has but very little blood inside of him, and Wha there is of the thinnest poorest and meancs quail ty it is very easy to imagine that tEerc will not h much secretion it is an impossibiity that tWI' should be much, for the blood is n't there eat o which the ttcal secreons can be manufactured th, manufacturers arc ready to do the work-thcy ar' ready to manufacture the fcal matter, but they ar short of material. they have nothing 10 work with no material t. work into fccal matter. Like tn cotton factory. where everything is ready to do tn work all the hands employed, all the machinery il good order and ready for action butt the spun threa is wanting-it is mt to be had and cannot be got and the cons, quence is no homespun is made, an there is nothing to make it out of. tis with tn colon and rectum, the lower bowels they are read to manufacture and deposit the tecal secretion bu good rich blood and plenty of it. being wanting they are left without any material to work with: an of course not having this all important material the blood, they cannot manufacture the secretion
 Now am aware that this doctrine of feclucato is at variance with large mass of the profession and not only the profession, but those out ot it, an the latter, we'll large majority ot the forme regard the feces the reidiam of the food as th' portion of tho food which is not taken up by the cl culation, and not needed for the purposes of neu ishing the body the rsfnss of the food after the nutritious part of it has been extracted o' this is entirely wrong idea for the feces are as tr' secretion from the mucus membrane of the colo as is the gastric ju ce fom the mucus membrane
 the stomach, or the saliva from the mucus men bgsne of the glands ofthc mouth, or the tears fro