Chapter I: Preface

The following chapters were contributions to _Health_--a monthly magazine published in New York City. Certain peculiarities of form and considerable repetition of statement--both of which the reader cannot fail to notice--are owing to the fact that about two-thirds of the chapters were written under the caption "Auto-genetic Poisons in the Intestinal Canal and their Auto-infection." In revising these contributions for book form I have given to each chapter a caption of its leading thought; but I am convinced that repetition of some of the matters treated, especially if the repetition be in a somewhat different connection, is not such a very bad thing. I have used my blue pencil sparingly, and as a consequence the consecutive reader will find that constipation, diarrhea, biliousness, indigestion, auto-infection and proctitis are treated in nearly all the chapters--but with varying applications. Therefore anyone suffering from one of these complaints would better read the whole book instead of only the chapter with the corresponding title.

These pages were written for intelligent laymen by a specialist, during a busy, assiduous practice. I take such radical ground, however, going to the very root of the matter, that the general practitioner will do well to give my thesis his careful consideration; he should at least glance at the following Introduction for the gist of my claim.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. PAGE

MAN, COMPOSED ALMOST WHOLLY OF WATER, IS CONSTIPATED. WHY? 1

CHAPTER II.

THE PHYSICS OF DIGESTION AND EGESTION 12

CHAPTER III.

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF ANUS, RECTUM, SIGMOID FLEXURE AND COLON 24

CHAPTER IV.

INDIGESTION, INTESTINAL GAS AND OTHER MATTERS 29

CHAPTER V.

KEY TO AUTO-INFECTION 36

CHAPTER VI.

HOW AUTO-INFECTION AFFECTS THE GASTRIC DIGESTION, AND VICE VERSA 46

CHAPTER VII.

HOW AUTO-INFECTION AFFECTS INTESTINAL DIGESTION, AND VICE VERSA 56

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CAUSE OF CONSTIPATION AND HOW WE IGNORANTLY TREAT IT 64

CHAPTER IX.

CURES FOR CONSTIPATION: "FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE" 71

CHAPTER X.

BILIOUSNESS AND BILIOUS ATTACKS 78

CHAPTER XI.

KING LIVER AND BILE-BOUNCERS 83

CHAPTER XII.

SEMI-CONSTIPATION AND ITS DANGERS 89

CHAPTER XIII.

THE ETIOLOGY OF THE MOST COMMON FORM OF DIARRHEA, i.e., EXCESSIVE INTESTINAL PERISTALSIS 98

CHAPTER XIV.

BALLOONING OF THE RECTUM 107

CHAPTER XV.

BALLOONING OF THE RECTUM--_continued_ 117

CHAPTER XVI.

THE USUAL DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF BOWEL TROUBLES WRONG 126

CHAPTER XVII.

COSTIVENESS 132

CHAPTER XVIII.

INFLAMMATION 137

CHAPTER XIX.

PROCTITIS AND PILES 148

CHAPTER XX.

PRURITUS OR ITCHING OF THE ANUS 156

CHAPTER XXI.

ABSCESS AND FISTULA 164

CHAPTER XXII.

THE ORIGIN AND USE OF THE ENEMA 173

CHAPTER XXIII.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD AN ENEMA BE TAKEN? 180

CHAPTER XXIV.

MAN'S BEST FRIEND 190

CHAPTER XXV.

PHYSIOLOGICAL IRRIGATION 191

CHAPTER XXVI.

PROPER TREATMENT FOR DISEASES OF ANUS AND RECTUM ESSENTIAL 202

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE BODY'S BOOK-KEEPING 215

CHAPTER XXVIII.

SELECTION AND PREPARATION OF FOOD 220

CHAPTER XXIX.

DIET FOR INDIGESTION 227

CHAPTER XXX.

DIET FOR CONSTIPATION AND OBSTIPATION 231

CHAPTER XXXI.

COSTIVENESS, DIET, ETC. 235

CHAPTER XXXII.

DIET FOR DIARRHEA 237

A FINAL WORD 240

NO. 1.

CHRONIC CONSTIPATION AND THE USE OF THE ENEMA 245

NO. 2.

OBJECTIONS TO THE USE OF ENEMA ANSWERED 257