Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-08
STOMACH WASHING.
q SIMPLE LITTLE INVENTION VERY
POPULAR WITH DOCTORS.

newest things in medical practice. If the
Wlsencres ere to be believed, it means a
revolution in the treatment of dyspepsia.
Dr. Cyrus Edison. DR.. Deiafield and a few
ofher well known doctors have tried it
with such incidentally successful results as
| % convince them that at last remedy has
bcen discovered Tor this most exasperating
affection. The good nature of mankind
VIII be correspondingly improved in con-
sequence
Laundering the stomach" is medical
slang phrase not to be too literally taken
5y dyspept.es. II does sot involve the
washing or ironing Of the organs of digcs-
ton III the sense that the terms are used in
| rtost households on Monday.
The idea Of washing Ihe 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 it was used with most gratifying re-
suits III the treatment of celebrities who
were chronic sufferers from dyspepsia. Re-
Gently Dr.. Edison and other New York prac-
titioncrs got hold of il, and after 10 weeks
| experimentation they declare without hest
taticn that within a years time the physi-
| ciaa who does not take in laundry work
will bo far behind the times.
The operation consists of nothing more
or less than thrusting o small rubber tube
down your csophagus into your stomach
| end pouring in through the tube a quart
| ofwar:li water, which is afterward siphoned
| out III much the same way as the farmer
emptic3 the contents CT one cider barrel
into another
The average human stomach holds a
quart, although dubious persons often do
not recognize this limit. Therefore quart
OF warm water constitutes Il DOSE" and
| four doses are given to the patient at each
treatment. The water is allowed to re-
| main In the stomach for brief space, dur
ing which n gentle rinsing movement goes
| on, nature lending the doctor a helping
| hand us she invariably does when she
agrees with him.
The apparatus required for the treat
mcnt consists Of u soft rubber tube six feet
in length, IA rubber funnel, Il receiving ba-
sin, IL pitcher, gallon Of water and sen
Siblc doctor. 1t is no small trick to put a
| rubber tube down a human esophagus,
| nor, for that matter, is it trick to be at
| tempted by u 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
| The doctor thrusts the tube in slowly, and
| it slides down the inucus lined canal as
| easily rs if it were u spoonful of Christmas
| pudding and the subject a 5-year-old boy.
The patient experiences feeling of full
ness, which is not strange in view of the
| fact that his stomach contains II quart of
| filtered Croton. When the water has been
| pumped out, he is hungry. After the treat
| ment is finished lie Is {. trifle weak, and in
| the words of one who has tried it, Your
stomach feels the way your foot does when
| it Il asleep"
| DR.. 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-
| bic it is Us "A means of purging and cleans
| ing the stomach than the use of vile medi-
| cines.
| lie has one patient of whom he is proud.
| She is the pioneer among the subiectso 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-
| ton. Two months ago she weighed 1l0
rounds Now she weighs 100, and her good
appetite promises u further increase in her
| avoirdupois, while after eating she has the
blissful experience of not realizing that she
has stomach at all
This sounds like u patent medicine adj
vertisemcnt. 1t is not. There is no patent
on warm water and rubber tube. The
comparison Of the human body to steam
engine is not new. Well, III the human en-
CINE the stomach is the fireboN, and when
the lirebox is out of order there Is bound to
be trouble in all the other parts Probably
if every one masticated his food properly
c,te ut all ,nG
there would be no such word as dyspepsia
In the dictionary Of medicine. But the con-
trary is true. Here medical science steps in
and tries to aid the man who has been toe
busy to pay proper attention to his health.
Particles of food which do not digest re-
main in his stomach. They become putre-
fed and have in i'll effect upon the blood,
tissue and flesh The iireboX is out of or
der, the flues 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
6rebox so that nature will have a clearp path
10 go on with her functions.
IF we had known this in time, Mr..
Blaine would be alive today, said DIR. Ed
son. Here we were puzzling our brains
over medicines when lying almost at our
feet. rs it were, was the simplest OF rem
edies, and the only remedy which would
have cured him. There are many. other
Drominent men, now dead, who might still
DO living had they enjoyed the opportunity
of having their stomachs washed"
II 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
b,s a dentist attend to his teeth at inter
r,ls IN remove the tartar and to see if there
are any new cavities
II won't be long before man meeting
friend ON the street will hear him say: I'm
o hurry. old man. l feel all out OF Sorts
aud I'm going to have my stomach laun-
dered. New York World.
Echoes From the Press.