Enemas...Mostly a USA Phenomenon?

I confess to being fascinated reading the many, many posts concerning Enemas. The vast majority seem to originate from our USA members. Their descriptions of current Enema activities are excellent. Even more remarkable are their recollections of receiving Enemas as children / teens - most of these accounts seem to originate from the 1940s /50s/60s and, to some extent, 70s.

I am just curious to try and find out if this is mostly a USA phenomenon as it was clearly very commonplace. I grew up in the UK during the 1950s / 1960s. I have never had an Enema and was certainly never given one as a child. Nor did I ever know anyone who was given one. I should add that I spent a lot of time with the families of several friends in that era. Plus, grown ups often discussed their children's medical issues quite indiscreetly with each other when they assumed either that youngsters like me were either not listening, or would not understand what they were talking about.

In terms of constipation, or lack of 'regular' bowel movements - what I generally recall is that ( here in the UK) we were obliged to drink combinations of horrible preparations like Andrew's Liver Salts or Beecham's Powders, usually followed up with doses of Syrup of Figs (or similar Laxative preparations). I think I did hear about one chum of mine being given a suppositry -but I think this was quite rare. In the 1970s, Colonic Irrigation became quite 'fashionable' in the UK....but it was more for adults who belonged to trendy Private Health Clubs than the general populace.

So, basically...can anyone (either UK or USA based*) shed any light on this? My own perception is that Enemas were rarely, if ever, given in the UK...but I am very happy to be proved wrong. I am just curious to know.* Or indeed..,what was the situation re: Enemas in other European countries too?

Oh No!!! You just read posts in English.... My folks came from the "Old Country" in eastern Europe in the 1920's... trust me!! ENEMAS were commonly practiced over there and the practice was brought here!!!

highwater

Highwater...the 'Old Country' in Eastern Europe? Can you be more specific??

Oh No!!! You just read posts in English.... My folks came from the "Old Country" in eastern Europe in the 1920's... trust me!! ENEMAS were commonly practiced over there and the practice was brought here!!!

highwater

There is something in this. There is a language-bias that spills over into a perceived preference by nationality.

Perhaps the question being about enemas is a bit too narrow, since there are other methods of introducing water/soap into the bowels as a method of cleansing. For instance in France or Germany recollections would probably not involve enema bags as such, but devices like clyster bulbs or syringes. Over the years I have read (and edited) many a story in French or German about this.

Enemas - as being the concept and practice of introducing water into the bowels - is not really an American phenomenon. Using large volume bags as the preferred device, does seem to be the preferred method in the US though.

@schoolmedsboi I have found that enemas in the UK are uncommon. Perhaps in a hospital situation prior to some type of investigation but regular enemas at home for example is rare. I don't think it's just in the US where they are regularly administerd but certainly not very common here in the UK

Thanks for the replies so far. Nothing sinister in my motives!! There are a huge number of posts on the subject of enemas and the vast majority are from the US (doubtless reflecting the huge number of members in the USA). I do not doubt that posters from other countries have experienced enemas. However, Rockdoc confirms my own suspicions with regard to the fact that enemas were / are far from common here in the UK.

If you can make it through the spam and popups and look at some of the fine porn on Xhamster, it is apparent enemas are a big thing in Japan

Schoolmedsboi, I think your question is an excellent one. I grew up in Cincinnati, with it's heavy German immigrant population. Every kid I knew with a German last name had gotten many appointments with a bulb syringe and most with the bag, also.

We also had a large number of Irish folks. It seems to me that even though enema bags were unheard of in Ireland, the Irish/American people soon found out about their virtues in the US and began using them.

The eastern European people we had also knew about bowel irrigation. The Jewish population also believed in frequent enemas. I don't recall Italian, Spanish, or other Europeans having a similar bent. Most of the black kids I knew had experience with enemas, as well.

My overall take on this is that some immigrants brought the practice with them and it spread to other American groups and it flourished here. So yes, I believe that enemas became an "art form" , in the US many decades ago. In talking with my grand parents and great grand folks, I learned that bowel irrigation was very popular in the 20's, 30's and probably before those times.

It's just one of the many American gifts to the world and especially to we "Klysmo's here"!

Jimmyt44. Thank you so much for that informative reply. I really do enjoy reading people 's true life accounts of receiving enemas. I guess it rarely happened in the UK. However, having gotten used to having insertions up my anus in recent years, I find the thought of possibly receiving my very first ever enema intriguing.

In some ways, as a kid, it might have been preferable. Preparations like Andrew's Liver Salts etc tasted vile and made you want to throw up. They were nothing to do with colon cleansing, but they were viewed by adults as being good for 'cleaning out the system'. Syrup of Figs did work as a laxative but, of course, you were then left with the problem of being 'caught short' or else, effectively, developing horrible bouts of diaorrhea!!

When I grew up, I used to think enemas were a thing of the past - think clysters in Louis XIV's court (back then it was a very common remedy, people used to joke about them) - or at least were reserved for severe issues in hospital. Imuch later heard some people mention bulb enemas up to the 1960s, and then some mentioning cans. But, certainly, this was not a common remedy at least after WWII.

This is why I was dumbfounded, when I came to the us, to see enema bags and disposable enemas in just any drugstore, and to hear my girlfriend explain she got them as a kid for stomach aches.

Hi "schoolmeds....."

The "Old Country"..... Hungary, Yugoslavia, ...that general area.... prior to "1920!!" As a young kid I was quite "multi lingual" as my folks spoke the "old Languages" a lot around us and a lot of family friends were immigrants too!! Mom, grandma and my aunt always called Enemas... "Klisteers!!!!!" and it wasn't till I was about 4 years old or so when I was talking to a neighbor girl thru her back screen door..... she said,"I have to go.. I've had this cold and mommie is going to give me an 'ENEMA!'" then her mom came by holding an "Orange colored enema bulb syringe" and took her to the bathroom.... Thus I made the connection between "Klisteers" and "ENEMAS!!!!"

Enemas in my family was definitely NOT something NEW that they acquired here in the States!!!!

With a "Klick!!!!!,"

highwater

Thanks Highwater. Very interesting and you can see a direct historical connection between your relatives referring to enemas as Klisteers and the old French 17th century word Clysters. Fascinating. Many thanks for a very interesting and informative reply.

I'm not so sure my father would have become the full-fledged Klismo he is today ha it not been for my Canadian Mother

who's own mother was a complete anglophile.

Enemas wee used in ancient times way before the Europeans ever got to the Americas

My step mom was german, she was a true believer in the bag for little boys. Japanese also seem to have a big thing for enemas.

One Friday afternoon years ago, I was chatting in an enema oriented chat room and the subject came up would one ethnic household be more enema orientated than another. Well, I grew up in a North Dallas suburb, not a place to study diversity. My dad is of German descent and my mother of Scottish. What the participates (15 total, 10 males 5 females), came up with, as I remember, was that Germany, French, Jewish, and Italian had the highest enema use. (I want to emphasize here that I know from college sociology that Judaism is a religion, not an ethnic group but for sake of discussion I am classifying Jewish households as an ethnic group.) while English, Irish, Spanish and Negro households had the lowest enema use.

I realize we were dealing with a very small sample but we tried to expand the sample by using our former school classmates. As my criteria, I used the 17 girls that I hung out with during my middle and high school years.

I agree that Germans seem to be the most enema-oriented, with French a close second. I have also noticed that scat seems to run high in the German psyche. Not MY thing, but they seem to enjoy it.

I agree that Germans seem to be the most enema-oriented, with French a close second. I have also noticed that scat seems to run high in the German psyche. Not MY thing, but they seem to enjoy it.

You should probably replace the word/device enema with clyster syringe or clyster bulb when talking about Germany or France. Those are far more likely to be used in those countries than an enema bag.

Though essentially, introducing water into the colon, is the same whatever the device.

We had the standard red enema bag in our house when I was a child. My mother was basically of Scottish, Irish, and English decent, from a fairly straight-laced family. My Dad was Finish. He was born in this country, but his folks were immigrants from Finland in the late 1800's. If I had to hazard a guess, I'm guessing the enema bag was most likely his idea, as he was very much of a naturalist. Being naked was no issue to him, and we took steam baths together as a family in our own separately built Finish style steam bath.

I recall a particular English BBC Dr. Martin program where they showed his equally strange and comical pharmacist, Mrs. Tishell attending her shop with a large collection of huge gallon enema bags displayed in every color on a wall.. Or were they only hot water bottles to treat an ear ache? I then watched for them to show up in the background again, which they did. However in this episode they were an in your face statement for entertainment!!

Then there was the BBC Call to the Midwife. They often inferred need for High Hot Hell of a Lot and clearly spoke it at other times. But the kicker was when the heroine saved the day after being slighted because of her nationality. The one in charge clearly wanted to express compassion by rewarding her with a comforting enema. The poor girl gasped and looked around to see if others were going to speak up on her behalf. But instead, they all raised their eyebrows and nodded she should just comply with a slight tilt of each one's head. She was trapped and knew her butt was had.

Thing is, these were included in what the English call dry hummer. So, obviously they all know a thing or two about water games.

I especially liked Lisa K's comment here concerning her mom's influence on her dad's cravings.

Since my mother was of French decent and my father German---I guess they both like an anal douche sometimes----then is just spread to me sometimes---not a lot for me but the red bag always seemed wet hanging on the inside of the bathroom door all the time. I never saw or heard of them using it but I really didn't care to hang out by the bathroom door to listen either.

Enemas and colon cleanse are "popular" in Japan and the Orient. If you think about it, that's where all the enema equipment that's being sold in the USA is made.

Look at Japanese fetish videos and all most all of them have enema scenes

My parents' ancestors were German, Irish, and Scotch. My mother's mother died when she was 9, and her father traveled a lot. She was was raised by her aunt, a member of the German part of the family tree. While never admitting it, I'm sure my mother received numerous enemas when growing up. Her father, a member of the Irish part of the family tree, also gave himself enemas, perhaps because his wife was from the German part of the family. He stayed with us several months out of each year, and was an advocate of me getting an enema whenever I was sick. As a result, I got a lot of enemas when I was growing up. The third day of a cold guaranteed the appearance of the big red bag. I am now married to a lady who grew up in England, and she claims that enemas were almost unknown there when she was growing up. I find it interesting that the northern Europeans used enemas so much more than the southern Europeans. Perhaps the Mediterranean diet has something to do with it>

The use of enemas during the Golden Age seems to me to have been something that crossed ethnic lines. Jewish moms were saidt be particular fans of the bag and hose, but friends and neighbors of all backgrounds were all candidates for the cleanout.

What about the Japanese? From the about of wild enema pics that can be seen on the Internet, there has to be a basis for it.

Ddell2: What I've seen from Japanese is quite different from most US enema movies, right? Often the woman is tied; the enema is given with a syringe, not a bad, etc.

My impression is that a lot of US enema video production is inspired (perhaps not closely) by the use of enemas in households not so long ago, while the Japanese ones are more sadistic.

I would keep in mind that if you are researching this subject though the WEB, the US has a very big presents there. Therefore your results may reflect this. In my opinion , a fair case study, of the use of enemas, is a very difficult thing. To many variables would lead to bad results.

Years past I lived in England, Germany, Italy, Africa, and Brazil for m- ore than a year in each country except Italy.

England - Found an add in the Telegraph newspaper. The facility was clean and gave nice enemas.

Germany - I saw an add in a porn magazine for a studio that specialized in enema which included a photo of a dominant enema nurse. I did not respond to that add.

Italy - Only there for three months but in walking the avenues of Milan saw enema bulbs of various sizes in display.

Africa - In South Africa never saw enemas displayed or heard talked about. Recall reading that Africans did give children enemas using reeds. Not sure if this is true.

Brazil - Enema cans, bulbs, and hose readily available. Just be careful of the water; use bottle water.

I think all countries have people who love getting and giving enemas.

One book I read in college on ancient Egypt mentioned the pharoahs received enemas using reeds from their "Shepherd of the Anus." There's a position many of us on Zity would be vying for.

In "Fear of Flying," Erica Jong gets off a plane in Germany and sees a billboard advertising antacids. She writes "and I hated the Germans for inventing indigestion." PS I once dated an America woman who was raised partly in Germany. Huge enema fan.

Traduction automatique (GOOGLE) :

Here in France, enemas were not or very little used. I discovered enemas in the 60s. A small red pear was hanging in a closet. I already have an idea of ​​the use of this "chosen"! The practice has not left me since more than 50 years! As a child, I have never seen a pear in the shop window in any pharmacy. Neither in the showcase nor in the shelves ...

Where I have seen the use of enemas, it is in medical, in cases of anoscopy and rectoscopy. Or in the oncology departments where chemotherapy causes constipation. There enemas are proposed to the patients. They accept or refuse. Unless I'm mistaken, even for the colonoscopies on the fact of more, under COLOPEG (or equivalent) by 2 or 3 liters to swallow. It is perfectly unpleasant!

It seems that neighbors are more inclined to use pears and enemas.

Nevertheless with the emergence of BIO, it is not impossible that enemas come back into fashion. On a little chemistry for anything and everything, to fight against constipation, nothing is more effective than water ...

Question is it so uncomfortable to hurry or be squeezed a pear (bulb) in the butt ???