The Carbon County news., 1927-03-31
THE HABIT OF CONSTIPATION


To say that constipation is nothing
but a bad habit may or may not be
be correct depending how inclusively
the word constipation is used. If on
ly habit of neglecting intestinal ell
limitation is regarded as constipation
and all other cases of imperfect bow
ell action are called something else
the statement can ho,d.
Intestinal Stasis
Personally | see no reason for MAX
ing such an arbitrary distinction nor
much significance in the term consti-
patton itself under any circum-
stances. | much prefer the designa-
ton intestinal stasis" which indi-
Gates a static, stationary condition of
the bowel, and which is the actual
state of affairs in any and all cases
of failure of the bowels to act, re-
gardless what the causes may be.
Inc nlluence OF HaDlu
1t is fact that habit plays a tre-
mendous part in many cases Of con-
stipation and | have corrected this
condition scores of times merely by
getting the patient started in the
habit of regularly attending to this
very necessary-yes, vital, function.
Importance of Intestinal Elimination
When | say vital | mean just that.
The bowels are to the animal or
gansm what is sewage system is to
a city. The lights might be turned
of, the water supply impaired the
police dlsbanded, and the inhabitants
continue to live in comparative secu-
rity. But block up the sewers and in
brief time disease will have deci-
mated the population. Likewise, an
individual could go without food, be
temporarily deprived of sunlight, suf-
Ter Tor years from organic disease,
and live. But lock the intestine and in
a short time he succumbs.
How Bad Habits are Formed
So, anyone who has formed the bad
habit OF neglecting this important
junction is playing with fire. And it
IS an easy matter to cultivate such
habit. The bowels can easily be ha
bltuated to regular action and thew
can Just as readily be disorganized.
Some people from motives of pride
or through fear of embarrassment
neglect to attend to this function.
Others allow business or pleasure to
laterfere. Some are Just too law.
indifferent or neglectful to perform
TINS function. | have known women
TO go two weeks without bowel
movement. Whatever be the motive
but short time is required to throw
the bowel off it's schedule.
The Cathartic Habit
The next step is to make the bowel
act and the Individual resorts to force
in the form Of cathartic or anema.
And it is difficult to decide which is
worse.
Cathartics make the bowel over-ac
tive and exhaustion (post-cathartic
paresis) Of the bowel follows. More
over the violent action brings about
the wasteful elimination of partly
digested food, intestinal juices and
mucus, which should not have been
discharged. The exhausted state of
the intestine paves the way for
successive period of intestinal stasis
and the process has to be repeated.
Enemas cause marked distintion of
the bowel, sitmuscular coat is over
stretched and eventually loses it's cas-
ticity. The intestinal wall loses it's
tone and remains stretched and blab-
by. AS a result it cannot successful
ly propel its contents along.
Proper Bowel Habits
The most desirable time to go to
stool is just after breakfast, when
CASTRO intestinal activity is most Wig
orous. While engaged in the act the
mind should not be divested by read
ing, singing and the like. The seat
should not be designed with the com
fort of an easy chair but should be
low enough to bring the knees close
to the abdomen, using a footstool if