Probing the “Golden Age”
Hello Everyone,
There are some aspects of the so called “Golden Age of enemas” that I would like to understand more about, and that I think would bear some discussion, and open up some interesting debate.
Firstly, can any of the longer serving members, or perhaps the moderators give any information as to when the term golden age was first used on the board, and in what context? Which came first, the title of the topic, using the phrase “golden age”, or many readers speaking of history, and referring to it as the “golden age”.
Secondly, do we have a definition of “golden age”? Does it refer to the frequency of enema usage, particularly as a home remedy, or to the more historic and traditional equipment used to give an enema, or to the much larger volumes given, usually of soap and warm water, as opposed to the small volume chemical compounds like a Fleet enema? Perhaps the “golden age” is defined by all of the factors I have listed.
Thirdly, we probably all have some idea as to when it was transitioning from the “golden age” to the age of convenience, or whatever we choose to call the present. Probably, the twilight of the golden age began after WW2 and the fifties, or if we want a specific date, perhaps we should look for the first patent issued for a chemical low volume enema. My point being, that if we say that the golden age has passed, then we should be able to indicate when this transition took place - and clearly, it cannot be one discrete date.
Next, if we speak of a golden age, then we should be able to say when it began, just as we can say that the Dark Ages began with the fall of the Roman Empire, and continued until the Italian Renaissance. So, when can we say that the golden age of enemas began?
Now, given that there is a preponderance of members from the USA, is there an implied notion that the golden age was a solely American phenomenon, or indeed, as one might expect, was the golden age more universal across many countries, but coterminous, or indeed, might there have been numerous golden ages in different countries, at different times, rather like the so-called industrial revolutions?
Finally is it possible that there was not a golden age at all, but that enemas have been a medical mainstay since Egyptian times, and it is only in the latter part of the 20th Century that the normal practice began to morph into the age of convenience, or the age of the disposable or the throw away age?
I have some views of my own, and I think this could be the basis of some interesting debate and understandings, but like all discussions, shouldn’t we define our terms first, so that we have a common understanding of what we are referring to?
I think we need to have a little more definition here, and in developing a common understanding, of the meaning of the term the “golden age of enemas”, we can advance our understanding of the practice of, as well as the medical, social, and indeed, economic context of the enema.
What do other members think, and can we all help to forge a better understanding?*
Looking forward to responses, ideas, and discussion.
What do you think enema aficionados?
Kind regards,
Delia