Acient History

Back in the age of discovery, the new world, spices and yes tobacco, enemas were considered to be nescessary and were very frequently practiced. There would be a man or a woman who would travel from home to home and administer enemas. At one point the practice of injecting tobacco smoke became very popular. This was found to make thebody feel "lighter" and quickly became addictive. The pracitce died out with the advent of medical and moral thinking of enemas as nasty. Now we have a better understanding of the dangers of this and what those practicioners felt.

Another practice was to put something in the enema that caused cramping. This was proof that the person administering the enema was indeed doing what was 'best" for the patient. The stronger the cramps the better the enema was. This practice is still being used by dom's and subs and by those that just plain like cramps.

The practice of injecting tobacco smoke thru an enema is dangerous and should not be done at all.

I was watching a PBS special once about the relics recovered from a Spanish Galleon. One item was a long iron rod with a holder at the end. The show went on to explain this was an enema device the ships doctor gave to the crew who grew constipated from the bad diets ships' crew had to live off of during long sea voyages.

It looked more like a branding iron and I have no clue how ot worked.

I visited an old Spanish Fort some years ago and they had a Klyster syringe on display. Apparently everyone got an enema every week - guess diets were not balanced in those days 😃

There are enough information about colonic irrigation during the Ancient Egyptians some 4000 years ago. That's nice I'd say.

from the net:

Colonic irrigations go back to about 1500 BC in ancient Egypt, where legend has it the Pharaoh's doctors were watching an ibis (a symbol of the god Toth). The ibis supposedly filled its beak with water and then inserted the tip into the rectum and discharged the water there. Taking this as a sign from Toth, the doctors did the same thing to the pharaoh. Colonic irrigation was used in ancient Greece and even during the Mayan civilization in South America. They were especially popular with French King Louis XIV, who had over 2,000 enemas during his time on the throne.

Moliere's "Imaginary Invalid" has references to enemas, including a special mixture that the title character's doctor has mixed up himself.

The play is hilarious and I'd recommend it to anyone who might be in an area where it is playing.

Great story Sara. Thanks!!!!!