Drugstore enema aisle

Yes, how times have changed...................not much publicity or enema advertising in today's world!

I may have reported this earlier, but just to be sure.....SAFEWAY STORES (NW) does not stock Fleet Enema products, bottle or suppository. WTFOver...is this a trend AWAY from our favorite pastime?

OVER

the boxcar

Sadly, the good stuff is only available online, and the quality isn't as good as it used to be. The mom and pop pharmacies have been forced out of business by corporations, and unless they sell a lot of something, their warehouses don't even stock it for special order. I used to enjoy seeing something on the shelf, buying it and rushing home to try it out. Not having to wait weeks for it to be delivered. I remember when even surgical supply stores carried enema gear, rectal tubes and other goodies.

How about demographics? If a guy checks out the aisle stocking enema syringes in a Castro neighborhood (SF) pharmacy primarily serving a gay clientele , the odds improve.

Slightly off topic: Folks over 55 might remember the Sears Catalog with its rubber goods section. As a kid I took great pleasure from browsing that section. They had several different water bottle/douche combination bags and even graded them into "good, better" and "best," categories.

Times have certainly changed. As they said in ancient Rome "Sic transit gloria mundi..".

Just returned from COSTCO and noticed that no Fleet Enemas on the shelves. WTFOver?

the boxcar

They might just be out temporarily. That happens sometimes at Costco.

I've gotten several boxes there. They don't really work very well on me, but they are convenient if you need something small and fast, though I usually follow up with a larger enema pretty soon afterwards if possible.

About 5 years ago I asked an older drug store staffer if they had any enema bag sets in store. I had not been able to spot them.

She led me right over to the spot several isles over, asked which type, open or hot water bottle style? I played a little dumb while she explained the difference.

I told her it was for a member of the party I was traveling with my Mother-in-law. She said she probably would need, or like some help with it, and proceeded to explain how to prepare and give an enema, just in case.

It was the most exciting discussion I ever had in a drug store .

Thinking back I probably could have gotten an enema from this woman easily, but is one of those fleeting moments that you look back on and wonder, but never have an answer.

I agree with many of the posters here. A trip down the enema aisle is not what it was back in the 70s.

As a kid in the early fifties, we had about 5 or 6 mom & pop drug stores in our town. I can remember that they would change their window displays once a month and most of them always included a selection of rubber goods. Usually these consisted of open boxes of various enema bags and syringes, but on occasion, some would have displays of assembled enema bags out of the boxes and hanging... ready to go. A real attention getter. Every so often I would ride my bike into town and 'tour' those stores, gazing into the windows while trying to look disinterested. Yeah...right! On the occasion the interior of a store required my presence (if I had enough money for a candy bar or gum) I certainly would casually find myself 'lost' among the rubber goods examining the latest offerings of Davol, BFG, Faultless etc. All because of my non- understood love - hate - fear of the items I sought

I was looking on google to find drug store displays and this was the only one I could find if you look bottom right you’ll see enema bulbs ...

https://www.google.com/search?biw=414&bih=660&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=u8H8WZOvHqaCgAaojbCICg&q=1950s+drug+store+window+&oq=1950s+drug+store+window+&gs_l=mobile-gws-img.3..35i39k1l3.28504.29101.0.29622.6.6.0.0.0.0.388.1349.2-4j1.5.0....0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-img..5.1.388....380.2_mQOuF9HLk#imgrc=pslwTagWUMQvVM:

I remember always seeing a rather large assortment of enema equipment in the local drugstore when I was young (1970's) hell, they even sold enema equipment in the Sears catalog. Today with Walgreens, CVS, ect you pretty much have 1 or 2 choices. 1) the standard faultless combo syringe or 2) the Fleet enema. It's sad.

Now that I have all that I need I don't usually pay attention to the drugstore enema aisle. Anything they have will be useless compared to the the internets offerings. I do remember scoping out the aisle in the past though.

I recall the same things as a kid. Looking at the Sears and Montgomery Wards catalogs was a turn on! As has been mentioned the Walgreens and similar stores have very little to offer. Back in the 1960's a person could get what they wanted at neighborhood drug stores. Sadly those are gone also.

Almost every time I go into a pharmacy or a large supermarket I go down the "enema" aisle.

I too remember the Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs. Always looked at, many time, the enema section. What a variety of equipment was displayed!!! I always had a finger in the toy section so I could switch quickly to the toy section in case someone came into the room.

The best, however, was Ross's Pharmacy. They frequently had enema and douche displays in their front window. I would ride my bike up and down so i wouldn't be caught looking. Those were the days that many pharmacies had soda fountains. The neat thing about Ross's was if I spun my seat/stool around, that is where they kept the enema equipment. It took me a longtime to drink my small soda.

In the late 60's-early 70's, I was a pharmaceutical salesman required to visit at least 2 drug stores a day. Most were mom & pop stores and had large displays of flat rubber goods and bulb syringes. I LOVED going into these stores, especially when I got the pharmacist's permission to put free packets of Massengill Powder into each box of rubber flatware and douche bulbs. I had to exit the store with a leather bag in front of my crotch to hide my erections. God, I loved that job!

While in San Juan Puerto Rico recently, I visited several pharmacies, including Wal Mart. All I saw in the usual name brand pharmacies were the fleets, in various package sizes. However, I actually did see a real enema bag, Caro? in Wal Mart. Almost bought another one, but how many can one own?

the hoseman1

Since I was 7-8 years old I would go to each of the four drugl stores in our town and would stop and look at the enema display in the window. I would even go into the store and stand and look at all the enema bags and bulb syringes. Today I still go down the aisle where enema kits are and look. Still enjoy looking but they are hard to find.

I too remember the Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs.

This.

And don't even get me started on the lingerie sections. Geezus what a trove of free spank bank those were. Best you could do short of sticky Playboy / Penthouse tear outs traded in the school yard (at least until the Victoria Secret catalogs hit the street)...

So true, gone are the various types from the stores, except for disposables.

I do, but like most have said there isn't much there anymore. I've stopped in little towns with seemingly older stores but haven't found much. I remember when there were cases where you could buy individual nozzles, clamps and hose connectors. No idea how many people ever went looking for a replacement hose connector or different style nozzle?????? The good old days.....

As a kid I wanted to be a pharmacist so I could sell enema and douche kits.

One of my Dad's good friends owned a drug store and we would visit him behind the counter often, and I got to see a few people purchase these wonderful pieces of equipment.

I still like to see enema and douche items on the shelves and walk by the few displays that are left every time I go into a pharmacy.

I, like a lot of others on this site, looked forward to the arrival of the MW and Sears catalogues both for the rubber goods and the underwear/girdle sections. The Spanx adds are good but no where near as sexy as the old fashion girdle ads.

Rob

Enema aisle? OK, but what about Rexall drugstore windows, back in the golden age? Usually 2 windows, with the entry door between them. One side would always have a generous display of enema bags, infant syringes, hot water bottles, douche bags, bedpans, etc etc. Always a treat to walk down Main Street with Rexall in your sights.

Not entirely off the subject, but growing up in the 60's and 70' s I can remember the local newspaper ads, like Walgreens putting their ebags on sale, you don't see that any more!

Well, there's not very much to see anymore. Fleets and the house brand analog are all you'll see. I do remember growing up and seeing bulbs, bags, and nozzles on display at our local small town drugstore. I really started noticing them around age 10 or 11 when I started self administering enemas.

Enema aisle? OK, but what about Rexall drugstore windows, back in the golden age? Usually 2 windows, with the entry door between them. One side would always have a generous display of enema bags, infant syringes, hot water bottles, douche bags, bedpans, etc etc.

I'm surprised they sold enough of what is after all a very reusable and somewhat taboo product to warrant a window display. Why not the candies, seasonal, or other such higher-volume products?

Moliere back in the 40’s, 50’s & 60’s it wasn’t taboo. It was normal every day life were people of all ages took or got enemas. If you were a kid and missed school for example, all your class mates knew when you returned to school you most likely had received an enema because the same thing had happened to them. We learned about enemas in health class in Junior High School and again in Home Economics in High School. So what, It was just part of life.

In the late 70's a local drug store near us sent out an ad flyer. Included photo of enema bag: "buy one get one free." What a deal: but who needs 2 enema bags at once? Maybe newly-weds, going from 0 to 60. And within a year the golden era of enema bags came to a crashing end: difficult to find after that, with disposables taking over. Damn.

Hoseman why do you think the Drugstore had a sale for “buy one get one free”. The Drugstore knew the era of the enema bag was coming to an end. And as you said, “Damn”.

There is nothing taboo about enemas or douches today. It's simply a matter of marketing and money. If you are pharmacists, what do you want to sell disposable or bags? You sell maybe a bag to a consumer every 5 years or so. You sell a disposable everytime the consumer takes an enema or douches. Furthermore, disposables take up less space and are available in fewer designs.

My father quit carrying bags in his stores along with other apothecaries items in favor of greeting cards. His stores still offered the apothecaries in kiosks where they were delivered directly to the customers' doors. His stores carried less inventory and offered a wider selection. Plus the customer didn't have to carry a family syringe, bedpan or walker home.