Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-03-03

III
There is not, among the whole catalogue Of Chronic
Diseases one concerning which am often written to-
and consulted from every section Of the United States and
called prescribe for Constipation Of the Bowels
1t would to he the disease o. the countyi and like
most other Chronic Diseases find has been treated IN
der total Misrepresentation regards the true cause Of
the Disease will in my advertisement of this week.
give what conceive to be correct view of the
view aware, that is opposed BY the great mass Of
the profession but which is srenuously advocated by
few and those few from their research and close study,
stand at the head of his profession, and from whom am
indebted to having been converted from the old beaten
track laid down in the books and led to embrace my
present belief With view to making the matter inteli-
gble TO the general reader (Which is very difficult
thing to do) shall endsayor to simplify the matter
much as possible in the hope that may be followed
| without difficulty.
to say that it arises from two and entirely dissimar
states OF the system viz: in those that lean and
spare habit aud in those of robust and heAhy appear
auce We will first take into the formers
and the first question to be propounded and answered Isl
Why the bowels irregular regards their action
why DO they not move with more regularity and FIRE
ed?
For the very good reason that the natural stimulus to
action the contraetons of the parees of the bowels
upon their cOuteuts is absentthey do not ac because
that which sets them in moIonthat which stimulates
them to contraction and the consequent expeng Of ther
contents, is not present to excite or bring about this ac
ton or contraction.
What is this natural stimulus or exeter of the action
Of the bowels?
Their contents-the focal matter and which must be
of certain bulk, or in weight, before
can become EXETER Of the contraction Of the bowels.
The reason then, why evacuation takes place-why
the bowels are irregular is because there no foe al mat
ter there to be expelled and Of if there is moth
ing to be expelled nothing can be expelled. Focal mat
ter cannot be sent out OF the bowels because it is not IN
them; it is not because the bowels unable to dis
charge their CONTENTS but because they have contents
to discharge.
said there was nothing no focal ma ter there; there
may be small quantity, and but small quaItity not
enough at any rate from its bulk or weight, to excite
Contraction, but some or Ources pres
ent in the bowels, their muscular coats will just
tainly by the weight OF their cOntentbe stimulated and
forced into contraction and the expelng of their
tents the womb WILL at the end of nine months from
the weight of its contents, expel the iOetus, the
bladder will expe its contents when cert in quantity
shall have been secreed there 1t is law OF the
my, and until there is sufficient weight bulk within the
ntestines, sufficient to stimulate them contrct there
will be no evacuation, and of course no evacuation is
needed.
+ At this point, will take occasion to remark that I'M
der this view of the Of regularity of the bowels
one can readily how perfectly ridiculous and
sensica and how entirely useless is the administration
OF purgative medicines in Constipation. You take pur
gative and laxative medicnesand for what?why to
perom the bowels that which is thereto force them
to contract and expe when there is nothing to expel
Purgatve medicines nConspaton not only useless,
but very injurious, shall see and their administers
ton Is the height Of empyricism Let the bowels alone
until the proper time arrives for their evacuation or I'M
ill they need to be evacuated and rest assured that they
will perform their functions without the help any drugs
Let them aoue and when the eces shall have aecumulat
certainly contract upon and expel their contents.
The next question in order is
Why is not focal matter presentwhy has it not been
wthmore regularity and with more frequency depostedso
to become EXETER to contraction of the bowels
the consequent expulsion of their contents?
For the reason, That the feces secretion
from the blood, and the patient from his lean lank Ian
tern awed appearance shows very plainly that he has
but very little blood inside Of him what there is
Of the thinee po rest and meanest quality, it is very
easy to imagine that there will be much secretion; it
is an mpossblity that there should be much for the
blood not there out of which the eca be
manufactured the Anufaclurers ready to do the
work they ready to acture the feca matter.
but they short of material they nothing to ork
with, material to work into feca matter Like the
ton factory where everything ready to do the work.
all the hands employed all the machinery in good order
and ready for action the spun thread wantingt
is MT to be had and cannot be got and the consequence
is no homespun is made there is nothing to make it
out Of so it is with the colon and recum, helower bow
els; they ready to manufacture and deposie the
cal secretion, but good rich blood and plenty of it. be-
ing wanting they are left without any material work
with, and of course, not having this all Important mate
ralthe blood they cannot manufacture the secretion
Now am aware that this do;trine Of iecd 1ation
variance with large mass of the profession, and not
only the profession but those out OF it, latter as
well large majority Of t. lormer regard the eces as
the Tesduum Of the food, that portion of the food
which ia taken up by circulation and not needed
for the purposes Of nourshng the body or as the fuse
of the food after all the nutritious part of it has been
extracted; but this is entirely idea for the feces
are true secrt on from the membrane Of the
Colon is the gastric juice from the mucus membrane
OF the stomach, the saliva from the
of the glands OF tn mouth, the from the mucous
membrane OF the lachryma glands; and the amount Of
secretion from either depends upon the quantity and
quality Of blood distributed them; and al of the coon
the amount Of secretion from its membrane that
is the quantity Of eces that deposited in the bowels
depends upon the quantity Of blood distributed to that
membrane. The books, azure, teach very differ
ent doctrine, but because Dr. this one or Dr. that one
says in his book Is reason of its being true Other
Doctors in their books say differently when Doctors
disagree, who shall decide! The books say and is the
generally received opinion among the profession that
after the food passes into the stomach it is by the mus
cular action Of the stomach rolled and tumbled aeout ill
it becomes soft, homogeneous mass, and then it is
pressed forward into the upper portion of the bowels
called the duodenum, where portion or part is ex-
tracted or separated for purposes of nntron called
chse, and which is taken by the small tubular vessels
called tdcteds and carried into the circulation for the
purposes Of nourshng the body; the other portion
becoming useless after the chile is extracted from it,
is sent forward through the bowels and expelled Now
instead part only of this mass, being prepared and
taken into the circulation, the ohOle Of it is in health
taken up. Now let us about this-le if part
| only is taken and carried into the circulation. How
much in weight does person in health eat at meal?
| Say two pounds-three meals day, would make six
pounds that he has taken into his stomach. Now &C.
cordiog to the books part Of this say onehslf taken
up and carried into the eirculaton the other half then
according to calculation, would be pound left in
the bowels after each meal three pounds day, to be
carried forward and expelled at the lower portion of the
bowels. Now bear in mind that there each day three
pounds of dross residuum Of the food that not
needed for the nutrition Of the body, and carried on
through the bowels to be expelled. Now suppose this
happened to be troubled with conspat on Of the
bowels, and should haze discharge from the bowels
for week. aVery frequent with dyspeptics
and others troubled with Constipation. have known
pergons to go three weeks without having any operation
Of the bowels and there on record where pa
tents have six and twelve months without having
had STOOL Nov, at the end Of week, this const-
pated gatent would, according TO our calculation be
carrying about him, in his bowels, 2l pounds Of eca
matterat the end Of two weeks he would carry about
with him AZ pounds the three weeks So pounds
and IN the case OF those have alluded TO going six
and twelve months without STOOL one would carry $40
pounds, and the other 1902 pounds. What an absurd
idea that person should carry about with him thou.
sand pounds or the half it, OF focal matter or even 49,
A. the q pounds Suppose the patient at the end
Of the first week, who is supposed have 81 pounds in
store, is weighed how much will actually weight
will liz weigh Il moref No. Win no weigh the half of
II, or pounds, or pound? No; not one half ounce
more; AMI the great probability is that be will not even
| weigh as much as he did a week previous What has
| become OF the Il pounds Of refuse mater9 That's a
question much easier asked than answered. if we stick to
the old doctrine laid down in the books III tell you
what has become OF it; the whole of the food was taken
up and carried into the circulation, and good portion
has passed through the bladder In the form Of urine and
through the pores of the skin in the form nsensble
| Precipitation.
1t has under the observation Of almost every one
that patient iaboring under acute disease, where no
solid food has been taken for weeks the stools are as
well formed and copous ever; and, in fact this same
patient may have, at the commencement Of his disease
taken strong and purgatiye medicine, which expelled
| every Article Of iecal matter, and before taking
any nourishmen with the exception perhaps Of little
tel he has had other stools almost ropious
much conssence the first This OF course, could
have the resduum Of the food, for the patient had
taken none. Patients with ockaw, where 1t i'm
| possibility for them to take anything for days and
weeks In the shape Of noufahment, except liquid and
that Of the thnneat kind yet have daily evacuation
Of the usual eonssence. Patients suffering from
In the mouth that preuded the possibility OF taking any
kind Of uourshmen by the mouth have been nourshed
and kept alive by enenas yet they have stools OF