Colonic Irrigation
‘DISEASE BEGINS IN THE COLON’ (Hippocrates)
Recently, the subject of alimentary toxaemia was discussed in London before the Royal Society of Medicine by fifty-seven of the leading physicians of Great Britain. Among the speakers were eminent surgeons, physicians, and specialists in the various branches of medicine.
POISONS OF ALIMENTARY INTESTINAL TOXEMIA
The following is a list of the various poisons noted by the several speakers: indol, skatol, phenol, cresol, indican, sulphurated hydrogen, ammonia, histidine, urobilin, methylmercaptan, tetramerhyl-endiamin, pentamethylendiamine, putrescin, cadaverin, neurin, cholin, muscarin, butyric acid, beta-imidazzolethylamine, methylglandinine, ptomarropine, botulin, tyramine, agamatine, tryptophane, sepsin, idolethylamine, sulpherroglobine.
Of the 36 poisons mentioned above, several are highly active, producing most profound effects, and in very small quantities. In cases of alimentary toxaemia some one or several of these poisons is constantly bathing the delicate body cells, and setting up changes which finally result in grace disease.
SYMPTOMS AND DISEASES DUE TO ALIMENTARY TOXEMIA
It should be understood that these findings are not mere theories, but are the results of demonstrations in actual practice by eminent physicians. Of course it is not claimed that alimentary toxaemia is the only cause of all the symptoms and diseases named. Although of many it may be the sole or principal cause, some of them are due to other causes as well. In the following summary the various symptoms and disorders mentioned in the discussion in London, to which reference has been made above are grouped and classified.
THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS
Duodenal ulcer causing partial or complete obstruction of the duodenum; pyloric spasm; pyloric obstruction; distension and dilation of the stomach; gastric ulcer; cancer of the stomach; adhesions of the omentum to the stomach and liver; inflammation of the liver; cancer of the liver.
The muscular walls of the intestine as well as other muscles atrophy, so that the passage of their contents is hindered. The abdominal viscera lose their normal relationship to the spine and to each other, on account of weakening of the abdominal muscles; these displacements are much more marked and serious in women. Other conditions are: Catarrh of the intestines; foul gasses and foul smelling stools; colitis; acute enteritis; appendicitis, acute and chronic; adhesions and ’kinks’ of the intestines; visceroptosis; enlargement of the spleen, distended abdomen; tenderness of the abdomen; summer diahrrea of children; inflammation of pancreas; chronic dragging abdominal pains; gastritis; cancer of pancreas; inflammatory changes of gall bladder; cancer of gall bladder, gallstones; degeneration of liver; cirrhosis of liver; infection of the gums, and decay of the teeth; ulcers in the mouth and pharynx.
HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS
Wasting and weakening of the heart muscles; microbic cyanosis from breaking up of blood cells; fatty degeneration of the heart; endocarditis; myocarditis; subnormal blood pressure; enlargement of the heart; the dilatation of the aorta; high blood pressure; arteriosclerosis; permanent dilation of arteries.
Dr. W. Bezley says: ‘There are a few phases of cardiovascular trouble (disease of heart and blood vessels) with which disorder of some part of the alimentary tract is not causatively associated.’
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
Headaches of various kinds – frontal, occipital, temporal, dull or intense, hemicrania; headache of a character to lead to a mistaken diagnosis of brain tumour. Dr. Lane tells of a case where a surgeon had proposed an operation for the removal of a tumour from the frontal lobe of the brain; the difficulty was wholly removed by the exclusion of the colon. Acute neuralgia pains in the legs; neuritis; twitching of the eyes and of muscles of face, arms, legs, etc. Lassitude; irritability; disturbances of the nervous system, varying from simple headaches to absolute collapse; mental and physical depression. Insomnia; troubled sleep, unpleasant dreams; unrefreshing sleep, the patient awakening tired; excessive sleepiness, patient falling asleep in the daytime; shivery sensation across lower spinal region; burning sensations in face, hands, etc.; epileptiform tic; thyroid state; paralysis; chronic fatigue; horror of noises; morbid introspection; perverted moral feeling; melancholia, mania, loss of memory; difficulty of mental concentration; imbecility; insanity; delirium, coma.
THE EYES
Degenerative changes in the eye; inflammation of the lens; inflammation of the optic nerve; hardening of the lens; sclerotitis; sclerokeratitis; iritis; iridocyclitis; cataract; recurrent hemmorrhage in the retina; eye dull an heavy.
THE SKIN
Formation of wrinkles: thin, inelastic starchy skin; pigmentations of the skin – yellow, brown, slate-black, blue, muddy complection; offensive secretion from the skin of flexures; thickening of the skin – sores and boils; pemphigus; pruritus; herpes; eczema; dermatitis; lupus erythematosus; acne rosacea; cold, clammy extremities; dark circles under the eyes; seborrhoea; psoriasis; pityriasis; alopecia, lichen planus; jaundice: ’An infinitesimal amount of poison may suffice to cause skin eruption.’
MUSCLES AND JOINTS
Degeneration of the muscles: ‘Muscles waste and become soft and in advanced cases tear easily. In young life the muscular debility produces the deformities which are called dorsal excurvation, or round shoulders, lateral curvature, flat-foot, and knock-knee.’ Weakness of abdominal muscles causes accumulation of faeces in the pelvic colon, which renders evacuation of contents more and more difficult. Prominence of bones; rheumatic pains simulating sciatica and lumbago; various muscular pains; muscular rheumatism; arthritic deformities; synavitis; rickets; arthritis, acute and chronic. Tubercle and rheumatoid arthritis are the direct result of intestinal intoxication. Dr. Lane says: ‘I do not believe it is possible for either of these diseases to obtain a foothold except in the presence of stasis.’
GENITO-URINARY AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS
Various displacements, distortion and disease of the uterus; change in the whole forms contour of woman; fibrosis of breasts; wasting of breasts; induration of breasts; sub-acute and chronic mastitis; cancer of breast; merritis and endometritis; infection of bladder especially in women; frequent urination; albumosuria; acute nephritis; movable kidneys; floating kidney. Dr. Lane goes so far as to say: ‘Autointoxication plays so large a part in the development of disease of the female genito-urinary apparatus, that they may be regarded by the gynaecologist as a product of intestinal stasis.’
GENERAL DISORDERS AND DISTURBANCES OF NUTRITION
Degeneration of the organs of elimination, especially the liver, kidneys (Bright’s disease) and spleen; pernicious anaemia; lowered resistance to infection of all kind; premature senile decay; retardation of growth in children, accompanied by mental irritability and muscular fatigue; adenoids, enlarged tonsils; scurvy; enlarged thyroid (goitre); various tumours and Raynaud’s disease.
In the face of such an array of evidence backed up by authority of nearly 60 eminent English physicians – and many hundreds of other English, U.S., German and French physicians whose names might be added – it is no longer possible to ignore the importance of alimentary toxaemia or autointoxication as a fact in the production of disease. To no other single cause is it possible to attribute one-tenth as many various and widely diverse disorders. It may be said that almost every chronic disease known is directly or indirectly due to the influence of bacterial poisons absorbed from the intestine. The colon may be justly looked upon as a veritable Pandora’s Box, out of which come more human misery and suffering, mental and moral, as well as physical than from any other known source.
The colon is a sewage system, but by neglect and abuse it becomes a cesspool. When it is clean and normal we are well and happy; let it stagnate, and it will distil the poisons of decay, fermentation and putrefaction into the blood, poisoning the brain and nervous system so that we become mentally depressed and irritable; it will poison the heart so that we are weak and listless; poison the lungs so that the breath is foul; poisons the digestive organs so that we are distressed and bloated; and poisons the blood so that the skin is sallow and unhealthy. In short, every organ of the body is poisoned, and we age prematurely, look and feel old, the joints are stiff and painful, neuritis, dull eyes and a sluggish brain overtake us; the pleasure of living is gone.
In those who apparently suffer no harm from constipation during a long series of years there is perhaps, as suggested by Hertz, a partial immunity is established. It must not be supposed, however, that even the establishment of so-called immunity insures the body against all injury. The labour of eliminating an enormous amount of virulent toxins, which falls upon the kidneys, damages the renal tissues and produces premature failure of these essential organs. Any process, which develops toxins within the body is a menace to the life of the tissues and should be suppressed as far as possible, and as quickly as possible.