This is a disease that is strictly a type of constipation.

Symptoms

The patient has frequent desire to evacuate the bowels. The first symptoms are those of a slight diarrhea, with a great deal of bearing-down. The patient leaves the stool unsatisfied, feeling that there must be more to pass; but this will be the sensation almost continually, no matter how frequent the attempts to evacuate the bowels. In the acute state the disease is really a proctitis--an acute inflammation of the rectum. The cause is constipation of the large intestine.

Treatment

No food should be eaten. Copious enemas--two quarts of hot water--should be given at first to cleanse the bowels. If the first enema does not bring good results, a second should be tried immediately. The patient should lie on the left side, with the hips well elevated on a pillow, and then introduce as much water into the bowels as possible. On account of the sensitive state of the rectum, it may be impossible to get a very large enema into the bowels. In that case the bowels must be moved from above by using two or three tablespoonfuls of castor oil, with the juice of half a lemon, every three hours until the bowels are thoroughly cleared out. Between the doses the patient should have lemon juice and water once or twice--the juice of half a lemon in a glass of water. If ideal treatment is desired, and the patient will accept it; perfect quiet, hot cloths bound on the abdomen, changed every three hours, and no food, no oil, but enough hot water in the bowels to supply thirst, will in a reasonable time bring about a perfect cure.

As soon as the bowels are cleared out, the tendency for going to stool should be relieved. If, however, the bearing-down continues, and the patient is not contented except when sitting on stool, the indications are that the bowels are still loaded with material and the constipation has not been overcome. Under those conditions, perhaps it would be well to take copious doses of olive oil--half a teacupful with a little lemon juice, using olive oil in place of the castor oil. The patient may be sure that he will get full relief as soon as the bowels are cleared out. No food should be taken, except a little orange juice or some other fruit juice, for at least two days after the disease is controlled, and certainly no starch is to be used for at least a week. Lamb broth may be used in a day or two after the symptoms have passed away, with a little grapefruit or orange juice, or any other fruit juice.