The Effective Treatment of the Impacted Colon.
Compiled by H. Hamilton.
[My own comments are in square brackets.]
It has been estimated that with the majority of people living in our so called “civilised life” nearly 70% suffer from constipation to a greater or lesser degree. A well-known authority has said “Daily movements of the bowel are no sign that the colon is not impacted; in fact the worst cases of impaction that we ever saw were those in which daily movements of the bowels occurred.”
Dr.Turner conducted an extended series of investigations with the startling result that he felt justified in claiming that fully 70% of all adults are afflicted with impacted colons in various degrees. A Chicago physician in the “Medical Examiner” says “The formation of cells or cavities in the colon become the seat of faecal accumulations only too often unnoticed by the physician”.
Accumulations can occur in any part of the colon. These cavities in the colon contain small faecal accumulations extending over weeks, months or even years. Reports from hospitals where autopsies are conducted show that in about 500 cases in which examinations of the colon have been made, about 50 were found to have colons in a natural condition. The majority (90%) were found to be greatly clogged with hardened excrement.
From The Practical Water Cure - Yogi Ramacharaka (A British Yoga Practitioner.)
Years ago, the famous Dr. Harvey Kellogg of Battle Creek, Michigan said: “Of the 22 000 operations I have personally performed, I have never found a single normal colon.” If Dr. Kellogg made this comment around 1900 just imagine how much worse the situation is today. From Jason Winters interviewing Dr. Vanita Forsyth - 1984.
Many people of America about 100 years ago combined with their other methods that of the ‘large enema’. The amount injected was usually about 1 pint, but some of the more radical ventured to use 1 quart of water, which was regarded as ‘heroic’ treatment frowned upon by regular physicians. But these early practitioners and writers do not seem to have discovered the frequency and danger of the impacted colon. Later investigators began to increase the amount injected. Two quarts was the amount generally agreed upon as the proper quantity, but some enthusiasts tried up to three quarts after practice. The Practical Water Cure - Yogi Ramacharaka.
Warning: Do not use large volume enemas or colonic irrigations if you suffer from any of the following conditions:- Malignancies of the intestinal tract, Any gastrointestinal disorder that makes perforation a likelihood, Anal disease, such as severe haemorrhoids, strictures, fissures, etc., High blood pressure or fluid retention problems, Severe cardiovascular disease, Abdominal anuerisms and arteriosclerosis, phlebitis, thrombosis, or where there is a tendency to haemorrhage, Severely debilitating diseases, Severe anaemias and exopthalmic goitre, Diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. From Principles of Colonic Irrigation - Jillie Collings - 1996.
“Beware of using tap water or a soap solution, especially when large quantities of water are used. Soap solutions result in unnecessary irritations of the colon and plain water risks upsetting the sugar and salt balance in the blood, which can result in great tiredness and even total collapse. Solutions used for large enemas should always contain a teaspoonful of salt to each liter of water used.” From Clair Boewer, who runs the leading German colonic clinic in Munich.
Many peole suffering greatly from a clogged condition of the system still have a daily movement of the bowels; and having a daily movement, such persons usually have no idea that they are suffering from retention of fecal matter, and from fermenting foods. In many such cases the intestines, and especially the colon, have adhering to their inner surface considerable quantities of old hardened feces, while yet there is a movement through the center of the bowel. The truth of this assertion may easily be proven by taking a large enema. Let the patient lie on the back, preferably with the hips raised higher than the head, and inject two, or three, or if possible four quarts of warm water into the bowels. Let every effort be used to retain this water as long as possible; when it is released it will usually carry with it such an amount of fecal matter with an especially offensive odor as will convince even the most skeptical.
From How Nature Cures - E.Densmore M.D.- London 1891.
How to Take a High Enema – High enemas are recommended to thoroughly cleanse the entire length of the colon. Place four quarts of warm water in the container. Expel all air from the enema tube by letting some water run through before inserting. The enema tip should be well lubricated with soap Vaseline or oil. Have the patient lie on the back, knees flexed. The bed should be well-protected by rubber sheeting. Insert the tip and let the water run slowly. When there is pain, shut off the water and let the patient roll from one side to the other, and resume after a few moments rest. Sometimes there is a kink in the colon, and many times just a change in position allows a great deal more water to flow in. It is usually not possible to take the entire four quarts at one time at first. When beginning the enema, inject only enough fluid until you feel full. Hold it as long as you can. Keep adding more fluid until it becomes necessary to expel the entire amount. After withdrawing the tip, press a folded towel tightly over the anus for a few minutes. As soon as the colon is clean, you will be able to retain the full four quarts for ten to fifteen minutes. You must try again and again until this is possible. If you have a tendency to be constipated, this routine may have to be repeated several times before the entire colon is cleansed. From Back To Eden - Jethro Kloss - 1988.
[Both Dr. Densmore and Jethro Kloss recommend taking high enemas of 4 quarts and retaining the full amount for up to fifteen minutes. Kloss recognises the difficulty which most people have in taking in the full four quarts for the first time; nevertheless he stresses the need to repeat the enema a number of times until the full 4 quarts can be retained.]
[Are both of these authors misguided in expecting the average adult to hold a full 4 quarts? Here are two opinions both from Medical Doctors as to the safety of large volume enemas?]
Has the reader any idea of the amount of water required for the distension of an elastic muscular tube, 5 feet (1.5m) in length and 2,5 inches (6,25cm) in the widest part? The large intestine is capable of great distension. The quantities in cases of faecal impaction have been named in gallons (2 gallons or more). The amount of water usually injected at one time from one to two quarts of water, can hardly be said to distend the bowels at all. Free evacuation of the contents of the bowels can be accomplished twice a day by the injection, at first of three to four quarts of water - to obtain a good flushing of one’s sewer. From Intestinal Ills – Jamison MD – 1920.
The colon is a wonderfully elastic organ, and it would be an impossibility to distend it to the same extent that it is frequently distended by [two gallons or more of] fecal accumulations. Rest assured of this: it is absolutely impossible to rupture the colon, unless you were to use a force pump, and even then, before the point of rupture could be reached, the pain would be so intense that you would be compelled to desist. From The Royal Road - C.A. Tyrrell, M.D. – 1907.
When I first mention to clients that they need many more enemas than 12 during a fasting or cleansing program they are inevitably shocked. To most it seems that no one in their right mind would recommend such a treatment, and that I must certainly be motivated by greed or some kind of a psychological quirk. Then I routinely show them reproductions of X-rays of the large intestine showing obvious loss of normal structure and function resulting from a combination of constipation, the effects of gravity, poor abdominal muscle tone, emotional stress, and poor diet.
The difference between helpful and potentially harmful enemas lies in the amount of water injected and the frequency of use. Using a cup or two of water to induce a bowel movement may eventually cause dependency, will not strengthen the colon and may after years of this practice, result in distension and enlargement of the rectum or sigmoid colon. However, an average colon empty of new food will usually hold about 4 quarts of water. That is the average. A small colon might only hold 3 quarts; a large one might accept 6 quarts, or even more.
When increasingly larger enemas are administered until the colon is nearly emptied of fecal matter and the injection of close to a gallon of water is achieved, beneficial exercise and an increase in overall muscle tone are the results. Correctly given, enemas serve as strengthening exercises for the colon. This long tubular muscle is repeatedly and completely filled, inducing it to vigorously exercise while evacuating itself mutiple times. The result is a great increase in muscle tone, acceleration of peristalsis and eventually, after several dozens of repetitions [of one enema a day for six months to a year], a considerable reduction of transit time. From How and When to Be Your Own Doctor - Dr. Isabelle A. Moser with Steve Solomon June, 1997. (Dr Moser is a Canadian Chiropracter.)
The Copious Enema - The purpose of this mode of applying the enema is to introduce the largest quantity of water possible to fill the entire colon without overdistending it. Four to six quarts (liters) are often used. Frequently quantities of old putrefying faecal masses, semi-hardened by long retention, make their appearance after a copious enema has been thoroughly administered every day for a week or more, showing that a single flushing of the colon, no matter how thorough, is not sufficient to achieve effective cleansing. In this class of patients the copious enema should be administered daily for two or three weeks if necessary, while the patient complains of gaseous distension of the bowels and fetid flatulence.
From Home Handbook of Domestic Hygiene and Rational Medicine - J.H.Kellogg M.D. 1903
[In spite of the discomfort to patients many Doctors followed the example of Dr. Kellogg and recommended 6 quart enemas to ensure effective results in the shortest time.]
In the early 1900’s medical doctors regularly prescribed and administered high enemas. It was common for the doctor to inject 6 quarts or 7 quarts (5,5 liters or 6,5 liters) for these enemas which were very uncomfortable for the average patient. From A History of Colon Cleansing – 1993.
The intestine of an adult will safely hold 6 liters. From Diseases of the Intestine – John Conrad Hemmeter – 1902.
A popular teaching which was supported by many Doctors and applied by nurses for many thousands of adult enemas stated that:-
‘No enema is effective unless from a gallon to a gallon and a half (4 to 6 quarts) is injected into the patient’s bowel.’ Many nurses and patients have found that from 4 to 6 quarts can easily be injected into the colon for effective results, without the need for long colon tubes or retention nozzles. From The Louisville Monthly Journal of Medicine and Surgery – 1916.
The High Enema - In the high enema the water is forced much further up the bowels and some ten pints [10 Imperial pints = 6 liters] of water are used, but it is wise to get this treatment under professional care, otherwise it is possible to do harm. Many people feel this type of apparatus holds the key to their health and are very disappointed when they are unable to get such treatment. Although unwilling to condemn this attitude entirely, I feel that better results could be had by a closer attention to diet. From About the Water Cure - Russel Sneddon 1965.
Question: My fiancée wants me to give her very full enemas. She is 5’5” tall. I use a 6 quart enema bag with the usual multi-click hose clamp. When I first started to give her enemas she took 3 quarts. Recently by stopping after 4 quarts for several minutes, I raise the bag and the water starts flowing again. She has taken up to 5 quarts in this way, making her normally soft belly very round and tight to the touch. She wants to try to take even more, and I was wondering if it is dangerous to give her more. What is a safe limit for the average adult? From Jeff – 2002.
Answer: I am a certified colonic hydro-therapist with 25 years experience in the field of not only colonics, but also high-volume enemas. You have very little to worry about as long as you take it slowly. Your fiancee should be able to take in up to 6 ½ quarts or 6 liters.
If you take a 6 quart enema every other day for a month, you will be healthier and have more energy than you have in years. After the first month, I would keep up this treatment at least twice a week for 6 months to a year or longer. The 6 quart enemas WILL NOT cause a lazy colon which will require more enemas to make it work. So, don’t be put off taking the regular large-volume enemas and enjoy your new found health and vitality!
From Michael Woods – Certified Colonic Hydro-therapist 2007.
Traditional Enema bags hold 2-quarts of water, which is less effective for cleansing, as it only clears the lower colon. I always use a 6 quart bag. Whenever I feel sluggish, I do a 6-quart enema. With some practice, you can do very effective cleansing of your entire bowel with a 6 quart enema. From Matt Monarch – Proponent of the Raw Food Diet as advocated by Dr. Norman Walker - 2008.
Do Most Users of Enemas Today Take in Enough Solution for Effective Results?
In a recent survey of 340 users of large volume enemas, most (90%) take between 2 and 3 quarts. Only 5% take 4 quarts, 3% take 5 quarts and 2 % take 6 quarts or more. From Enema Poll – 2000.
[This means that only 10% take the large 4 to 6 quart enemas which is the amount frequently recommended for high enemas since the early 1900’s.]
What are the Difficulties Which Many People Experience When Attempting to Completely Fill the Colon?
[Many people who experience nausea and even vomiting when attempting to fill the colon with large enemas of 4, 5 or 6 quarts, wrongly assume that the enema is being forced through the ileo-cecal valve into the small intestine and stomach. If the water is injected slowly this rarely happens. While the colon is being filled, pressure is exerted on the contents of the small intestine and stomach, and this can cause the nausea and vomiting. This can easily be avoided by waiting at least 3 hours after the last full meal or better still, by fasting the day before and also on the day that a full enema is planned. This will empty the small intestine and stomach.]
A six quart enema is required to completely fill the large intestine, and leakage of fluid through the ileo-cecal valve into the small intestine is rare. From Diseases of the Digestive Organs – Charles D. Aaron – 1921
Large enemas are best taken kneeling with the chest above the pelvis, to avoid too much pressure on the organs. When taking large volumes, the most difficult part is the filling from 4 up to 6 quarts. You need to be sure the colon is already clean, and free of any trapped gas. Most of the pain people feel is due to pockets of trapped gas. I have often taken enemas of 6 quarts. I assure you, nothing has been forced into the small intestines. From John Edwards – 2009.
When the colon is being filled slowly one section at a time, sometimes there is a ‘kink’ and this causes cramping or some pain. Sometimes it is better to straighten out the ‘kink’ quickly by letting the enema flow fast, rather than to drag it out slowly. I have achieved a complete filling of the colon by taking 6 to 7 quarts in a few minutes. From Janis Matthews – 2008.
During a high enema the colon is allowed to fill until one senses that the tension needs to be released. Tension is perceived as the discomfort of distension. Tension developed is proportional to willpower exerted. It is very much like lifting weights. The more discomfort you can tolerate, the greater will be the strength you develop in the musculature of the colon. As one gains experience with this procedure, one will be able to tolerate greater filling [up to a safe maximum of 6 quarts] before feeling the need to expel the water. This is due to the strength of the colon’s musculature being increased through exercise. It is the stretching of the wall of the colon with the inflowing water against its resting tension that exercises the colonic musculature, increases blood flow throughout the colon, and with time and persistence restores normal anatomy and function. From Colonic Cleansing – Mavin Dreck – 2004.
At first the flow of water causes pressure in the rectum and an urge to release. It comes in waves, but is easily held back. Then there is a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen. It starts gradually, but slowly builds until there is a feeling like a balloon is gradually being inflated. The feeling of inflation gradually moves up the left side, up the descending colon, and across the middle in the transverse colon, and then down the right side in the ascending colon. The pressure causes a cramping sensation which gradually becomes more intense. When close to the full capacity of the colon there is a feeling of immense inflation and strong peristalsis, and this can make retention extremely difficult; nevertheless a retention time of 15 minutes is recommended for effective results. Retention of the enema allows for greater saturation of the water into the fecal material. From The Wikipedia – Description of a High Enema – 2008.
It is especially important for Americans, whose culture does not teach one to be tolerant of discomfort, to keep in mind that pain is the body’s warning that actual damage is being done to tissues. When an enema is perceived to be unpleasant, the correct description for the experience is discomfort, not pain. In the absence of bowel disease, enemas can do no damage and pose no risk. You may have to work at increasing your tolerance for discomfort or it will take you a long time to achieve the goal of totally filling the colon with water. Be brave! And relax. From How and When to Be Your Own Doctor - Dr. Isabelle A. Moser with Steve Solomon June, 1997.
I have found that most people have difficulty in giving themselves full enemas. The enema should not be stopped until the colon is completely filled. This is as it should be for an ordinary cleansing enema, as were almost all enemas 100 years ago. It is even more difficult to take a series. I quit too soon and fail to do repeat enemas when necessary. A helping hand makes it easier to continue. I have found that of those women who have enemas, almost a third of them admitted having exchanged sessions of multiple enemas as teenagers with other teenage girls. From E-Sig Newsletter – 2000.
During my first year at the University of Sheffield, after a long period during which I relied on self-administered enemas, I was fortunate enough to find another female who also used enemas. Because she was convinced of the benefits of large enemas, when she gave me my enemas she always urged me to take as much as possible for each enema. Eventually we were giving each other some pretty large enemas, much larger than I had ever dared to take myself. Thanks to all the coaching of my friend, now that I take them on my own again, an extra-large enema of 6 quarts is my favourite way to get relief from constipation.
From Sandra - Croyden, Kingsbridge 1983.
[Here are four examples of enema users, who have each experienced the expulsion of additional impacted material from their colons after taking large enemas of more than 4 quarts.]
My mother gave me many large enemas as a child. I got my first 4 quart enema when I was only thirteen. I remember being so full and not believing that I had taken so much. Later when I took enemas myself I used to just do the standard 2 quart bags, but after a while I didn’t feel totally cleaned out, so I upgraded to a Paris 3 quart bag. I still did not feel completely cleaned out. I now use enemas of between 4 and 5 quarts about three to four times a week and I wouldn’t stop for the world. My husband and I have been using large enemas for about 10 years and it has added so much to our health and feelings of wellbeing. From April – 2006.
I am a 31 year old married woman. In the last 4 years, I have found a clinic in Jamaica where I had a lot of enema treatments. I was there for 3 weeks and had at least 5 high volume enemas every day along with massage administered at the same time. The enemas were given very slowly and were very large - 5 quarts or more. I have to tell you they were wonderful and I have so much energy from them. My health has never been better, and I highly recommend them.
I have been to colonic clinics where you are on a machine for about 45 minutes, and then they say nothing more is coming out, so that is the end of the session. For me high enemas of at least 5 quarts do so much more, and I proved that to myself by having a long session right after having a colonic. The amount of matter that came out was very surprising, and continued to come out for a good four hours that I was given the enemas. Also I have had my colon checked and I have far less kinks in it than I did before. I am very healthy, with lots of energy and my weight is great, which is very important for my work. At home, between clinic visits, I have large enemas of between 4 and 5 quarts at least 3 times a week and feel wonderful for them.
From Susanne – A Canadian Model – 2005.
I’m an 80 year old retired university professor. As a child I was often constipated and I got several enemas from Mom from the age of 5 and throughout childhood. I got used to them. When I was older I took enemas myself. I have learned from experience that I need very large enemas for recurrent constipation, and have learned ways to take larger enemas and that there’s rarely any danger from them. They just take practice and patience.
I’ve found an ordinary nozzle to be suitable without the need for a long rectal or colon tube. Fact is, I get equally good relief of constipation simply by taking, patiently, very large enemas that get just as high up in the colon and thus the same good results. I can take six quarts, if I take it very slowly, stopping the flow if cramps come and beginning again when the cramps ease.
Administering my own enemas, I find lying on my back to be most pleasant and least discomfiting; but since it is difficult to get up (at my advanced age), I sometimes take the first 4 quarts while lying down on my back, and the last 2 quarts while standing up.
In spite of my advancing years I still manage to give myself a six quart enema and two hours later another six quart enema. I do this once a week. I do have recurring constipation that gets to the point where I need those enemas. I have learned to tolerate the growing discomfort while all the water is going in, the fullness while holding a six quart enema for a fairly long time and the good feeling afterward when I feel cleaned out. From Ken – 2009.
I can’t hold the regular purgative enema of soap or glycerin more than a few minutes. I usually take 2 - 3 quarts myself or from my boyfriend several times a week for maintenance. I had read about high enemas when I was at a Holistic clinic in Germany, so I decided to try it at home. About once a month I purge with several laxatives, a fast and saline enemas. If you are looking for a very effective, high volume, safe, cleansing enema that is gentle to your bowel, doesn’t cramp and you can retain for an extended period, use a saline solution of one teaspoonful of table salt per quart of water.
The first enemas are taken to fill the colon to flush out the major content. Two and a half quarts is a normal large enema for me, three quarts and I feel completely filled. This is the maximum amount that most enema users are willing to take in, to avoid cramping and discomfort. I have proved to myself, that it is not sufficient just to comfortably fill the colon. You really need to distend the walls of the colon with larger amounts, to loosen hardened waste. It’s just not possible to avoid the discomfort of a very large enema to get effective results. For the last enema I use a large balloon retention catheter and inject very slowly one ounce at a time with a Higginson enema pump syringe.
I continue until moderate discomfort is felt, when the flow is stopped. When the discomfort passes, the flow is re-started until the same level of discomfort is felt and the flow is stopped again. This is repeated until the skin on my abdomen is tightly stretched, although not as much as in pregnancy.
You have to ease your mind as well as you body into taking a very high volume enema. There is a whole field of sensations, clenching to hold it in, then giving up and letting go, but you can’t go because of the balloon retention nozzle. The nerve sensations in the abdomen run from pulsing to pins and needles. During the infusion my mind is focused on how much I have taken and how much more I have to take (as a goal). The urge to release fades about 10 - 15 minutes after the infusion is complete. I have taken up to five quarts and held it for 30 minutes, which may seem like an ordeal but it really was fairly comfortable.
I really believe that it does the system good, especially when you look in the toilet and exclaim “My Goodness, I haven’t eaten corn in three months”. This proves to me that the full 3 quart enemas that I regularly take are not effective in flushing out all the pouches in the colon. I think a very high volume enema can benefit a person but they have to take the risk themselves if it is not given under medical supervision.
From Janis Matthews – 2006.
Many people would rather die of colon cancer, than take a series of high enemas. If every person in this country took a series of high enemas 2 or 3 times a week, 95% of the doctors would have to retire for lack of business. From V.E. Irons.
Some physicians threaten their patients with disaster if they take enemas, but I can’t see the sense of this because in 37 year’s experience I have never seen anyone whose colon appeared to have been damaged by repeated washings.
Recently I saw a woman who had taken enemas every day for 17 years, but X-rays of her colon showed nothing unusual. Furthermore the mucosa was perfectly normal. In another case in which the woman had taken enemas everyday for 10 years, I was able to study a pile of films which she had had made of her colon at yearly intervals. These showed no change in the size or shape of the bowel, and in this case also the mucosa was normal.
I have asked hundreds of physicians, if they had ever seen enemas do harm, but all that an occasional one could tell me about was a scratch on the rectal wall produced by the tip on the end of the tube. I have therefore no fear of enemas, and I cannot see why so many physicians now object to them as they do. From Nervous Indigestion and Pain - Dr. Alvarez. 1950.
References
How Nature Cures - Emmet Densmore, M.D. - Swan Sonneschein London 1892.
The Practical Water Cure - Yogi Ramacharaka. L.N. Fowler & Co Ltd, London
Intestinal Ills - Jamieson MD. Tyrrel's Hygienic Institute, New York. 1920.
The Royal Road - Charles A. Tyrell, M.D.- Tyrell's Hygienic Institute Inc., New York.
380th Ed 1930 & 395th Ed 1947.
Nervous Indigestion and Pain - Dr. Alvarez. Hoeber Publications, New York. 1950.
About the Water Cure - An explanation of hydrotherapy - Russel Sneddon Health for All
Publishng Co. 1965.
The Jason Winters Story Part II Vinton Publishing, Boulder City, Nevada. 1984
Back To Eden - Jethro Kloss. Woodbridge Press Publishing Co 1975
Principles of Colonic Irrigation - Jillie Collings - Thorsons - 1996.