Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-02-19

There is not, among the whole catalogue Chronic
Diseases, one concerning which am often written to,
and from every section the United States and
called to prescribe for, Constipation the Bowels
It would he the disease the country; and like
most olher Chronic Diseases, find has been treated IN
der total Misrepresentation regards true cause of
the Disease. will in my advertisement Of this week.
give what conceive to be correct view Of the causes
view, am aware that is opposed by the great
the profession but which is strenuousy advocated by
few and those Few from their research aud study
stand at the head of his profession and from whom am
indebted to having been the cid beaten
track laid down in the books, and led embrace ny
present belief With view to making the matter nte-
gbie to the general reader, (Which is very difficult
thing to do Ishall endeayor to simplify the
much as possible in the hope that may be followed
without difficulty.
Constipation is OF kinds perhaps ought rather
to say that it arises from two and entirely dissmiar
states OF the system, viz; in those that lean and
spare habit and in those robust and healthy appear
auce. We will first take into consideration the former
and the first question to be propounded and Eered
Why the bowels irregular regards their action
why do they not move with more regularity and fre
quency-why the delay in the. focal matter being eject
For the very good that the natural stimulus to
action the c0nractons of the parees of the bowels
upon their couteuts is absent-they do not ac because
that which sets them in motlon-that which stimulates
them to contraction and the consequent JeIig 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 bowels?
Their conents-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 Irregular is because there is focal
ter there to be expelled and of course if there moth
ing to be expelled nothing can be expelled Focal mat
ter cannot be sent out of the bowels because in
them; it is not because the bowels unable to dis
charge their contents, but because have contents
to discharge.
said there nothing focal mater there; there
may be small quantity, and but a small quantity not
enough at any rate, from its bulk or weight to excite
contraction, but some or ounces pres
ent in the bowels their muscular will Just SO GER
tany by the weight Of their conentsb stimulated and
forced into contraction and the expeng of their con-
tents the womb will at the end of nine months from
the weight of its contents, expe the feus or as the
bladder will expel its contents when t.in quantity
shall have been secreted there. 1t law of the econo
my and until there sufficient weight or bulk within the
intestnes sufficient to stimulate them contract there
will be no evacuation, and of evacuation is
needed
At this point will take occasion to remark that UNI
der this view of the Of regularty of the bowels
one can readily see nov perfectly ridiculous and
sensicai and how entirely useless Is the administration
of purgave medicines in Constipation. You take pur
gave and laxative medicines, and iOi what?why
pefrom the bowels thai which thereto force them
to contract and expel when there is nothing expe
Purgative medicines in Constipation are only useless
very injurious as we shall see and their admnisra
ton Is the height of empyrcism Let the bowels alone
until the proper time arrives for their evacuation or IN.
til they need to be evacuated 3ured that they
will perform their functions without the help any drugs
Let them alone, and when the eces shall have accumua-
ed to the ncuut of or ounces, they will most
certainly contract upon and expel their contents.
l. The next question in order is
Why is not feca matter presentwly has il not been
withmore regularity and with frequency depostedso
to become EXETER to contraction OF the bowels, and
| the consequent expulsion of their contents?
For The reason, that the eces true 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 insde of him. and what there is
OF the thlneEt, 20 rest and meanest quality, it is very
easy to imagine that there will much secretion; it
is an impossbity that there SHOULD be much for the
blood is not there out of which eca secreons can be
| an tn do he
work-they are ready to the fecal natter
but they are short of material they have nothing work
with, no material to work into fecal 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, but the spun thread is Wanngt
is MT to be had and cannot be got and the consequ
no homespun is made, there is nothing to make it
out o. so it is with the colon rectum the lower bow
els they ready manufacture and deposite the fe
cal secretion, but good rich blood and plenty it,
ing wanting they are left without any material work
With and of course, not having this all important mate
rial-the blood they cannot manufacture the secretion.
Now am aware that this doctrine of ecif alton is at
variance with large of the profession, and not
only the profession but those of it, and the latter
well as large majority of tie former regard the
the residuum of the food portion of the food
which id not take by the circulation and needed
Tor the purposes OF nourishing The body the refuse
OF tue food after all the nutritious part of it has
extracted; but this is entirely idea, for the eces
are as true from the mucus membrane of the
Colon as is the gastric juice from the membrane
OF Inc stomach, or the saliva from the mucus 1brane
Of the glands of tn mouth, the tears from the mucus
membrane of the achryma glands; and the amount If
secretion from either depends upon the quantity and
quality Of blood distributed them; and So of the colon
the amount Of secretion from its mucus membrane that
is the quantity of eces that is deposited in the bowels
depends upon the quantity of blood distributed to that
membrane. The books, awure teach very differ
ent doctrine, but because DR. this one or Dr. that one
says SO IN ms book Is no reason of its being true Other
Doctors in their books say differently when Doctors
disagree, who shall decide? The books say and it is the
generally received opinion among the profession that
after the fool passes into the stomach by the mus
! nd mi /
it becomes soft, homogeneous mass, and then it is
pressed forward into the upper portion of the bowels
caiea the duodenum, where portion part is ex-
tracted separated for purposes Of nntrton called
cte, ami which is taken by the tubular vessels
Gained Gcteats and carried into the circulation for the
purposes of Dourishing the body; the other portion
becoming useless after the chile is extracted from it. il
is sent forward through the bowels and expelled Now
instead OF part only of this mass being prepared and
taken into the circulation the OhO[e of il is in health
taken up New1et us about his-let see if part
only is taken and carried into the circulation. How
much in weight does person in health at q meal?
say Two pounds-three meals day, would make six
pounds that he has taken into his stomach. Now &C,
cordng to the books, part of this say oneha is taken
up and carried into the circulation the other half then
according to our calculation, would 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 mind that there is each day three
pounds OF dross residuum of the food that is not
needed for the nutrition of the body and carried
through the bowels to be expelled. Now suppose this
man happened to be troubled with constpat of the
bowels and should have discharge from the bowels
for week. very frequent occurrence with dyspeptcs
and others troubled with Constipation. 1 have known
persons to go three weeks without having any operation
OF the bowels, and there record where pa
tents have gone six and twelve months without having
mad STOOL Now, at the end Of week. this const-
pated gatient would according 10 our calculation, be
carrying about him, in bis bowels, 81 pounds of ecal
matter-at the end of two he would carry about
with him AZ paundsa the end OF three weeks SO pounds
and IN the case OF those have alluded 10 going six
and WE'VE months without stool, would carry $40
| pounds, and the other 1922 pounds. What absurd
idea that person should carry about with him thou
sand pounds or the half it, OF focal matter SO,
or A. or the 81 pounds Suppose the patient the end
oil the hrst week. who is supposed have q pounds n
store, is weighed how much will he actually weight
will hs weigh Fl more? No. win no weigh the half of
| it, OF pounds, or l pound? MOI not half
morej AMI the great probability is that be will even
become OF the Il pounds Of refuse matteTl That's a
question much easier asked than answered. stick to
the old doctrine as laid down in the books I'll tell you
what has become Of it, The h0{e Of the food taken
up and carried into the circulation and good portion
has passed through the bladder the Of urine and
through the pores Of the skin in the form OF nsensble
Precipitation.
1t has come under the observation of almost every one
that patient laboTng under acute disease where no
solid food has been taken for weeks yet the so1s
well formed and copious as everj and in fact this
patient may have at the commencement If his disease,
taken strong and purgalve medicine, which expelled
every pa uele Of fecal matter, and before taking
any nourishment with the exception perhaps of little
tea he has had other stools almost Gppous and of
much consisence the Tst This Of course could not
taken Patients with lock-aw where II was an i'm.
O ke for daya and