QUESTION: With all the medicines available today, there is still nothing as good for a person as a good cleaning out.
When I was younger it was not infrequent that our own doctor would prescribe a purge, that soon put things to right.
I don't know of any doctor in my area today that knows about this, and sometimes wish these younger fellows would take a lesson or two from their elders.
Perhaps many conditions that have no treatments today could be cured.
ANSWER: You are advocating some pretty strong medicine, that may have no beneficial effects at all to the sufferer.
We have learned a great deal since those days when physicians, just like patients, believed that the inside of the "bowel" (meant to include the entire digestive system) was filled with dirty and poisonous material.
Daily movements were required to keep the system "clean," and constipation was a serious situation.
Castor oil and Epsom salts were administered in huge doses to obtain the desired effects. The intestine was stimulated, causing forceful contractions to push out all of the contents, and frequently provoked more harm than good.
We now have a more restrained view of bowel functions, and while daily regularity is a comforting thing, it is no longer considered a must.
A good diet rich in fiber can often be all that is necessary to keep a person's bowels in order.
It is far more important that our systems function in a normal and timely way, rather than in the unnatural fashion provoked by excessive stimulants.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
