Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1894-11-13
STOMACH WASHING.
A SIMPLE LITTLE INVENTION VERY
POPULAR WITH DOCTORS.

What Prominent onlcial OF New yori,s
Health Department Thinks of ''Launder-
ing the stomach'--A Rubber Tube and
Warm Water Any One May Get.
Laundering the stomach is one OF the
newest things in medical practice. If the
wiseacres are to be believed, it means a
revolution in the treatment Of dyspepsia.
| DR.. Cyrus Edison. DIR. Delafleld and a few
| other well known doctors have tried it
with such undeniably successful results as
| to convince them that at last remedy has
been discovered for this most exasperating
affection. The good nature of mankind
will be correspondingly improved in con-
sequence.
Laundering the stomach" Is medical
slang phrase not to be too literally taken
by dyspeptics 1t does not involve the
washing or Ironing Of the organs of diges-
ton in the sense that the terms are used in
most households on Monday.
The idea of washing the stomach, or, to
be more exact, the idea of rinsing it out
with warm water, originated in Paris, like
many other of the good things in life. In
Paris 1t was used with most gratifying re-
suits in the treatment of celebrities who
were chronic sufferers from dyspepsia. Re
Gently DIR. Edison and other New York prac-
titioners got hold Of It, and after 10 weeks
experimentation they declare without hesi-
tation that within a years time the physi-
clan who does not take in laundry work
will be far behind the times.
The operation consists Of nothing more
or less than thrusting small rubber tube
down your esophagus into your stomach
and pouring in through the tube quart
af r.
out in much the same way as the farmer
empties the contents Of one cider barrel
into another.
The average human stomach holds q
| quart, although bibulous persons often de
not recognize this limit. Therefore a quart
Of warm water constitutes "dose,n and
four doses are given to the patient at each
treatment The water Is allowed to re-
main in the stomach for n brief space, dur
| ing which gentle rinsing movement goes
on, nature lending the doctor helping
hand, as she invariably does when she
agrees with him.
The apparatus required for the treat
ment consists of soft rubber tube six feet
in length, rubber funnel, a receiving ba-
sin, a pitcher, gallon Of water and a SEN
sible doctor. 1t is no small trick to put
rubber tube down human esophagus,
nor, for that matter, is ii trick TO be at
tempted by novice who, in all Likelihood,
would get the tube into the windpipe in
stead Of the esophagus. The patient
throws back his head so that his esophagus
is in as nearly an upright line as possible
The doctor thrusts the tube in slowly, and
it slides down the mucus lined canal as
easily as if it were spoonful Of Christmas
pudding and the subject 5-year-old boy
-
ness, which is not strange in view Of the
fact that his stomach contains a quart OF
filtered Croton. When the water has been
pumped out, he is hungry After the treat
ment is finished he is a triie weak, and in
the words of one who has tried it, "Your
stomach feels the way your foot does when
it is asleep"
DIR. Edison, who has had his own stomach
washed out several times, admits that the
idea is rather uncanny at first thought but
consider, he argues, how much more sensi-
ole it is as means of purging and cleans
| ing the stomach than the use Of vile medi-
| cines.
He has one patient Of whom he is proud.
| She is the pioneer among the subject Of the
new treatment. When she began its use
she was run down, which means that her
| stomach and her blood were in bad condi-
tion. Two months ago she weighed 1lO
1 pounds. Now she weighs 100, and her good
appetite promises further increase in her
avoirdupois, while after eating she has the
blissful experience of not realizing that she
has a stomach at all.
This sounds like patent medicine ad-
vertisement. II is not. There is no patent
on warm water and rubber tube. The
comparison Of the human body to a steam
"A II ppt In 4 Ia
CINE the stomach is the firebox, and when
the 1irebox is out of order there is bound &c
be trouble in all the other parts Probably
II every one masticated his food properly
and took sufficient exercise at all times
there would be no such word as dyspepsia
| in the dictionary OF medicine But the con-
| trary is true. Here medical science stems in
and tries to aid the man who has been toe
1 busy to pay proper attention to his health.
| Particles Of food which do not digest re-
main in his stomach. They become putre-
| fled and have an i'll effect upon the blood
tissue and flesh The firebox is out of or
der, the fiues are stopped up, and then we
hear that familiar sentence, doctor, I'm
all run down." Now, what doctors are go
ing to do in the future is to clean out the
hrebox so that nature will have clear path
to go on with her functions.
If we had known this in time, Mr..
Blaine would be alive today" said DR.. Ed
son. Here we were puzzling our brains
over medicines when lying almost at our
feet, as it were, was the simplest Of rem
edies, and the only remedy which would
have cured him. There are many other
prominent men, now dead, who might still!
be living had they enjoyed the opportunity
OF having their stomaChs washed"
1t is not intended that You should only
have your stomach washed when YOU have
dyspepsia The hope is to prevent dyspep-
STA as well as cure it. If we are to believe
the doctors, one should have his stomach
washed every two months or so, just as he
has dentist attend to his teeth at inter
walls to remove the tartar and to see it there
are any new cavities
II won't be long before a man meeting a
friend on the street will hear him say: In
hurry. old man. feel all out Of sorts.
and I'm going to have my stomach laun-