Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-02-27


There is not, among the whole catalogue of Chronic
Diseases, concerning which am often written to
and consulted from every section Of United States aud
called on to prescribe for as Constipation Of the Bowels
1t would he the disease o. the country; and like
most other Chronic Diseases, find has been treated I'M
der total misspprehenson regards the true cause Of
give what conceive be correct view of the causes
view am that is opposed by the great Of
the profession but which is strenuousy advocated by
few, and those few, from their research and cosestuiy
stand at the head of his profession, and from whom am
indebted to having been converted from the cid beaten
track as laid down in the books, and led 10 embrace ny
present belief With view to making the matter inteli-
gible to the general reader, (Which is very difficult
thing to do Ishsl endeavor to simplify the matter as
much as possible in the hope that may be followed
without difficulty.
Constipation is of two kinds or perhaps ought rather
to say that it arises from and entirely dissmar
states of the system, viz in those that lean and
spare habit and in those of robust and healthy appear
auce We wihrst take into consideration the former;
and the first question to be propounded and Eered
Why are the bowels irregular regards their action
why do they not move with regularity and FIRE
quency-Shy the delay in the focal matter being eject
For the very good reason that the natural stimulus to
action the c0nracons of the p3reties of the bowels
upon their conteuts is sbsentthey do ac because
that which sets them in molon-that which stimulates
them to contraction and the consequent expeng of their
contents is not present to excite bring about this
ton or contraction.
What this natural stimulus or exeter OF the action
of the bowelsi
Their contents-the focal matter and which must be
OF certain bulk or some ounces in weight,beore
can become EXETER of the contraction of The bowels
The reason then, why no evacuation takes pace-ghy
the bowels Irregular because there is no foe cal mat
Ter there to be expelled and of course if there is moth
ing to be expelled, nothing can be expelled. Foe js
ter cannot be sent out OF the bowels because it not in
them it is not because the boaes are unable to dis
charge their contents but because thy have
to discharge.
said there nothing, focal matter there; there
may be small quantity, and but small quantity. not
enough any rate from its bulk or weight to excite
ag aOo as k5orG
ent in the bowels their muscular will Just so GER
ainy by the weight OF their contents stimulated and
forced into contraction and the expeing of their con-
ents, as the womb will at the end of nine months from
the weight Of its ccntents expelI the foeus or as the
bladder VIII expe its contents wheu cerain quantity
shall have been secreted there 1t is law of the econo
my, and until there is sufficient weight or bulk within the
inestines sufficient to stimulate them contract there
Will be no evacuation, and of course evacuation is
needed.
At this point will take occasion to remark that IN
der this view of the OF irreguarity of the bowels
one can readily see how perfectly ridiculous and
sensca and how entirely useless is the administration
OF purgatve medicines in Constp patton You take pur.
gatiye and laxative medicines ol what?why to ex
pelfom the bowels that which not thereto force them
to contract and expe when there is nothing to expel
Purgave medicines in Constipation, only useless,
but very Injurious shall see, their adminstra
ton is the height OF empyricsm. Let the bowels alone
until the proper time arrives for their evacuation
iii they need to be evacuated and assured that they
will perform their functions without the help any drugs
Let them alone, and when the eces shall have accuuat
ed to the amount of some or ounces, they will most
certainly contract upon and expel their contents
The next question in order is
Why is not fecal matter present why it not been
wthmore regularity and with frequency deposited
to become an exeter to contraction OF bowels and
the consequent expulsion of their contents?
For the reason That as the feoes true secretion
from The blood and the patient from his lean lank
tern Jawed appearance shows very plainly that he
but very little blood inside of him and what there is
OF the thneet poorest and meanest quality, it is very
easy to imagine that there will not be much secrcton it
is an mPossibllty that there SHOULD be much for the
blood is there Of which the eca secrons can he
manufactured; the manufacluers are ready to do the
work they are ready to the fecal matter
but they short of MATERIAL they have nothing to work
with, no material to work into iecal matter Like the cot
ton factory where everything ready to do the work
all the hards employed, all the machinery in good order
and ready for action, but the spun thread is wantingt
is MT to be had and cannot be got and The consequence
is no homespun is made, there is nothing make it
out Of. So it is with the colon reotum the lower bow
els; they ready to manufacture and depose the f.
cal secretion, but good, rich blood and plenty of it,
ing wanting they are left without any material work
with, and of course not having this all Important mate
ral-the blood, they cannot uIlnnacturethe secreon
Now am aware that this doctrine of ecia alton is at
variance with large mass of the profession and not
only the profession but those Of it, and the latter as
well as large majority Of tt former regard the feces as
the resduum of the food that portion OF the food
which is not taken up by the circulation and needed
for The purposes of nourishing the body as the
OF the food after all the nutritious part Of it has been
extracted but this is entirely wron5 idea for the feces
are as true secret from the the
colon, is the gastric juice from mucus membrane
OF the stomach, or the saliva from the mucous enbrane
OF The glands OF tn mouth, the tears from the
membrane of the iachrymal glands; and the II
secretion from either depends upon the quantity and
quality of blood distributed to tlem Of the colon
the amount Of secretion from its membrane that
s the quantity Of eces that is deposited in the bowels
depends upon the quantity of blood distributed to that
membrane The books, am swnre, teach very differ
ent doctrine, but because DR. this one or Dr. that one
says so in his book Is OF being true Other
Doctors in their books say differently ard when Doctors
disagree, who shall decided The books say and it the
generally received QpiniOn he
after the food passes the stomach il is by the mus
cular action dTthe stomach rolled and tumbled ill
it becomes soft, homogeneous mass, and then it is
pressed forward into the upper portion of the bowels
called the duodenum, wkere a portion or part is ex-
traeted or separated for purposes Of nutrition, called
chtte and which is taken by the sms tubular vessels
called iGcteas and carried into the circulation for the
purposes of nourshing the body; the other portion
becoming useless, after the chile is extracted from it, il
is sent forward through the bowels AMI expelled Now
instead OF part only Of this mass ing prepared and
taken into the circulation the lghote Of it is in heath
taken up Now let US see about hislet II part
only is taken and carried into she 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 ac
cordng to the books part of this say taken
up and carried into the circuaon 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 is each day three
pounds of dross residuum Of the food that is not
needed for the nutrition Of the body is carried on
through the bowels to be expelled. Now suppose this
happened to be troubled with constpat on Of the
bowels, and shoald have no discharge from the bowels
for week. very frequent with dyspeptcs
and others troubled with Constipation. have known
persons to three weeks without having any operation
Of the bowels, and there record where pa
tients have gone six and twelve months without; having
had STOOL Nov, at the end Of week, this consti-
pated gatient would ording TO calculation, be
carrying about him, in his bowels 81 pounds Of ecal
matter-a the end of two weeks he would carry about
with him az poundsat the end three weeks SO pounds
and in the case OF those have alluded going six
and twelve months Without stool 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, oil iecal matter even 3d.
AZ or the q pounds. Suppose the patient the end
Of the first week. who is supposed to have 81 pounds in
store is weighed, how much will he actually weight
will Ia weigh q morel No. Win no weigh the half of
it, or pounds, l poundi No; not oae half ounce
more; ami the great probability Is that be will
weigh as much as he did week previous What has
become OF the Il pounds Of refuse matter? That's q
question much easier asked than answered. stick to
the old docrne as laid down In the books I'll tell you
what has become otit the whole of the food 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 OF n3enabe
Precipitation.
1t has under the observation Of almost every one
that patient laborng under acute disease, where no
solid food has been taken for weeks, yet the Stools
well formed and copious ever and in fact, this same
patient may have At the " his disease
taken strong and purgative medicine, which expelled
every paltcle of focal matter, and before taxing
any nourishment, with the exception perhaps Of little
tea he has had other stools almost sopous aud OF as
much consstence the Tst This Of COURSE could not
have been the rednum Of the food for the patient had
taken Patients with ock,aw, where 1t was an i'm
possibility for their TO take anything for days and
weeks, in the shape Of nounhmeAt, except liquid and
that Of the thnnest kind, yet have daily evacuation
Of the Usual conssence Patients suffering from cancer
In the mouth that preuded the possibility OF taking any
kind Of nourshment by the mouth have been nourshed
and Kept alive by enemas yet they have stools Of more