Higginson

As a similar generation to Delia, perhaps I may be allowed to add my two penny worth. For me a Higginson's syringe has always been an intrinsic part of enema apparatus. Matron used one on that memorable day which started my klysmophelia. I purchased my first syringe from a pharmacy in Wigmore Street in London in the late 1970s. How I found that John Bell and Croydon stocked such items I do not recollect. But I do remember the, oh so superior lady who oversaw that section of the store.

So, some thoughts after nearly forty years. Pumping the Higginson is a great way to ameliorate cramps. Volume, anything from 30 to 50 ml per pump. Length of tubes is irrelevant as they can be extended. Quality of materials is important. I use one sourced from Germany. I usually use it while travelling, I have open topped bags for home use. One improvement would be something to weigh down the intake end. I remember reading about a musician who used a trumpet for such purposes. Could say more but..

@delia

You wrote:

"I have never understood why people used a bulb syringe – other than that the device is somewhat cheaper to manufacture, but it seems to me that having to repeatedly remove the nozzle to refill the bulb is distressing for the patient, as well as causing irritation. "

The answer is simple. A single bulbfull of enema solution is almost always sufficient to make someone poo. For a pre-teen kid, 4 Oz of warm, soapy water will almost always produce complete results within 15 minutes; for an adult, a single bulbfull from an 8 oz adult syringe wil do the same.

The plain fact is most people don't need a monster enema of two quarts or more to provoke a toilet trip. Yes, two quarts will cause a faster response and a lot more cramping, but a bulb does just fine.

YMMV.

This in-line bulb syringe is PERFECT for getting a long colon tube inserted full length.

Every squeeze opens the colon at the tip and adds lubrication to the far end of the tube.

I have inserted my 36” colon tube many times, alone, using this simple device. Only issue is cleaning it....in my new one i put a check valve so fluid can only go one direction.

Great addition to any fountain or combination syringe.

Auto or marine supply stores sell the siphon pump that can be incorporated into your tubing. I have used them for many years. I really like to squeeze to get things going. Then as I fill up (especially when doing a wine enema) the pulsing flow stopping and resuming with the slow infusion in between feels awesome.🚀😜

Ive used them on myself, but it brings you closer to the one you are filling, as in more intimate, and i too have had them fail to pump and found a small piece of hair or whatever stuck in a valve. Do be carefull though when you take it apart, its very easy to fit valves the wrong way around, and it still wont pump, been there, done that etc.

Just bought new Higginson I found on Amazon. $20 +. Seems well made, silicon tubing. I have not used yet.

About ten years ago I perverted one of these https://www.bcf.com.au/p/blueline-uv-stable-primer-bulb/M115263.html to my ends. (Don’t tell them!) Still going strong.

Did my first enema with my new Higginson. Used a 2 liter coke bottle as the reservoir. Worked great; no issue with the tube gasping for air.

Did second one today. Filled sink with just warm water. EZ and fast to just do a quicky selfie!

The need to maintain cleanliness of Higginson devices cannot be over emphasized even if use of the syringe is limited to one person. If you examine many of the currently advertised Higginson syringes you will note the bulb and tubing appear to be one molded piece. Even if you aggressively clean the syringe, the construction slows drying inside the bulb and if the valves close then moisture could be trapped for days. I would not purchase a single piece Higginson. Instead I would locate one that has the one-way valves exposed at each end and the tubes attached such that the bulb, tubing and valves can be detached, cleaned in alcohol or hydrogen peroxide solution and air dried.

@Victoria1951

Excellent advice. Thanks.

Just search "bulb pump" on Amazon. Lots of choices.

This device piques my curiosity. Since I've never seen one in real life, only in still photographs, I'm a bit unsure as to certain points.

If I understand correctly the principle, you put one extremity of the pipe into a bowl of water, the other extremity into the patient's rectum, and in between there is a one-way bulb pump. Correct?

Do you need to flush the air out of the feed pipe first or it just works?

What is the typical length of piping? That is, how close must the bowl of water be to the patient?

Where would one typically set the patient up to use it? (I'd be uncomfortable putting a bowl of soapy water on a bed, for fear of overturning it.)

If I understand correctly the principle, you put one extremity of the pipe into a bowl of water, the other extremity into the patient's rectum, and in between there is a one-way bulb pump. Correct?

Do you need to flush the air out of the feed pipe first or it just works?

What is the typical length of piping? That is, how close must the bowl of water be to the patient?

Where would one typically set the patient up to use it? (I'd be uncomfortable putting a bowl of soapy water on a bed, for fear of overturning it.)

No special setup is required at all. Don’t bother with a bowl of water—that sounds as if it comes from an ancient nursing handbook that I posted here myself years ago. Just connect one end of a tube to the bag or bucket, whichever you use, and the other end to the inlet side of the pump. Then you need another length of tubing to connect the outlet side of the pump to the nozzle. Yes, you do need to purge the air from the tubing (and the pump and nozzle) as usual, it’s not hard. The tubing can be whatever length you find convenient. With the pump, it is unnecessary to hang the bag or place the bucket at a height above the patient, as the water is propelled by the pump instead of depending on gravity to make it flow. Make sure the outside diameter of the pump inlet and outlet matches that of the tubing you connect to the bag/bucket and to the nozzle, otherwise you will need adaptors and extra bits of tubing. The idea is to keep things simple, and I use a Higginson myself for that very reason.