Read All About It

One of the things I used to do regularly was to keep an eye open in bookshops, libraries and homes to find books about home nursing, medical guides and the like - they were often going to have a chapter on how and when to use an enema - in fact, I think a large part of the popularity of the treatment in the so called 'golden age' because of such reference works.

I remember two such books in particular, both American. The one had a photograph of an enema bag with a rectal catheter (colon tube) on a tray with a pan of water and some vaseline, and the caption 'when the doctor orders an enema, assemble the items required on a tray' - I think it was in the section on pregnancy. Another was a general book on health, and explained how a child should become familiar with a syringe before being given their first enema. They should be allowed to play with it, and it should be explained that this is what grown ups use when constipated. It also advised involving the child by letting them operate the clamp. It had the observation, in support of enema use, that if you had a thirty foot tube with a blockage inches from the one end, why would you try to unblock it from the far side?

I recall a few others published in England - one from a writer who championed enemas as a part of natural health, and another which was a home nusring book, with a line drawing entitled 'patient prepared for an enema'. It showed a woman on her side, under the bedclothes, only with her bottom visible, and a Higginson syringe on a side table with a bowl of water.

Do any readers recall such literary works? They seem to have perished now!

Delia

Hi Delia,

yes I remember lots of them--but danged if I can give reference--I think the "golden age" ended about 1970

virtually the only current books talking about enemas are natural health pubs---and not all of those

The enema is alive and well in natural health circles--I recently attended a lecture--the presenter ubabashadly promoted the benefits of enemas for various reasons---

badger

I remember one that I bought in the early 60s with the partial title of "A Minnesota Doctors Guide", but do not remember the entire title, but it was a home health guide.

The author seemed to suggest an enema for darn near anything from pregnancy, to worms and diarrhea.

If you have a medical school nearby, check out their policies as far as allowing non-students to have on premise access to their library collection. A few years ago when I was an EMT I simply just walked in, with my Rescue jacket on and an armload of emergency medicine books and hit the catalog, no questions asked.

I spent several very inspiring hours at one local to me. The nursing related materials and books were VERY interesting!

And nope, while our particular interest was calling to me, I wasn't "on call"!

- mcclane

Hi, Delia,

I actually got into this mostly by books first. We had an encyclopia on health at home, end I enjoyed reading the article about enemas often. It had also had a pic a kid being given an enema with a bulb, and some pics of other devices. A few years ago I bought some other books, antique, dating from 1890s, and there the topic was also discussed in great detail, also with a pic here and there.

Nice that you brought up the topic ...

Northernlight

At Penn State years ago I spent many hours in the library looking over back issues of the Journal of the American Nursing Association. Numerous enema articles were published over the years. I will never forget an early ad for Fleet Enemas showing a harried nurse carrying an armful of enema bags their hoses dangling all over with a pained look on her face supposedly wishing her hospital would switch to Fleets. Cyklopps

My mom had a photo-illustrated book on child care that showed a baby about one receiving a legs-up enema from a nurse with a bag hung on a wall. Also, a Red Cross home care book showed a drawing of a woman receiving an enema with a funnel attached to the top of the tubing.

My aunt had a book with no illustrations but a large chapter on enemas that emphasized that if the doctor ordered an enema it must be given, whether the patient approves or not.

Even Dr Spock in his early (late 1940s) editions was pro-enema.

The e-word seems to have disappeareed from care books today, except in the "do not" instructions.

Growing up, we always had a supply of various fleet enemas and suppositories in the bathroom closet. I used to shut myself in the bathroom (no locks in our house!) and read the back of the boxes and jars. I especially loved the illustration of the boy kneeling, naked, in the knee-chest position; anyone remember that?

At the time, I didn't understand my own fascination with these words and pictures, since I absolutely hated being on receiving end of these products.

But just seeing words like "rectal tip" would make me feel very strange, in a warm and pleasant sort of way.

They still do, actually.

Yes, I recall and still do, looking through the health section at book stores and looking up enemas and rectal temperature taking. It still is fun.

WOW Anne you really brought back some childhood memories!

I have had my medical kink for as long as I can recall and some of the most seemingly banal things were truly erotica for me as a kid too.

As you mentioned the instructions on a fleet enema (or the instructions in a tampon box was another naughty read I would sneak while held up in the lavatory)were oddly and intensely arousing. Any medical/surgical scene (I love surgical attire and uniforms); images in National G. or on PBS, for whatever reason had me fully engrossed. I was always worried that some how someone new that I deriving some odd pleasure from seeing this stuff.

The hottest thing (that was not intended to be hot)that I came across as a young teen was in Seventeen magazine. I picked up my sisters copy and saw an article titled, "What To Expect At your First Pelvic Exam". I quickly flipped to the article and suffice it to say, it really blew my young medical fetish mind!! With my hands nearly shaking and my breathing a little labored, I recall coming to the passage, "next the doctor will put on latex gloves" at that, my eyes about popped out of my head...... and what does the doctor do next!!?? I couldn't wait to read the next line. Not surprisingly, that Seventeen mag vanished from my sisters room to never be seen again (by her that is😉)

Sorry, I didn't mean to go on and on or share a little too much info. But your thoughtful posts struck a chord and I really wanted to relate.

Cheers 😃

We are fortunate to have been able to read and study about this topic. Most libraries allow public access to view their materials although it may be far more restrictive to check them out to view outside the library. I have also found some used book dealers who have significant sections of medical related texts.

I have quite enjoyed online reading in the Google "books" link. By selecting the full or partial view, most of the text and some illustrations are available. Many of the entries are from the early 1900's. Happy reading!!!

I learned from the books before I actually go into this. I made the conclusion from the books that enema is safe when properly done.

Interesting post thread . When I was in college and later our state university in the mid 1960's - mid-1970's , there were any number of ' pictorial ' how to ' ' hardback publications available to the nursing students in our libraries . Having said that , one did not have to be a ' nursing student ' to check out on loan these periodicals from the library . I recall many pictures of nurses preparing and actually giving enemas to ' patients ' who I believe to be fellow nurses or nursing students . All the illustrations were of ' female nurse administrator to female ' patient ' . I enjoyed the captions as well but the then ' black and white ' pictures left nothing to the imagination even to the look on the ' patient's ' face during the photo shoot all in the name of ' education ' . I have purchased a number of ' vintage ' nursing manuals which are well illustrated and have ' enema specific ' chapters on Ebay .

Until I was ten years old all of my enemas, whether from mom or self given, were just a couple of bulbs. My first enema from a bag was maybe a quart but it spurred my interest in larger enemas and I started by reading our home health and first-aid book. I was surprised to find that two quarts was considered a "normal" enema for an adult. I then checked the school library for similar books and found several with anywhere from a paragraph to a chapter on enemas. Some described various enema solutions and their use but most agreed that for general relief of constipation or cleansing enemas were from one to two quarts, or more. I could not believe that you could get that much water into your belly. I felt full at a quart but I started increasing the quantity little by little until I could take two quarts. Of course, I was growing some over that time too so I am not sure how much increase was my body growing or just adapting to the larger quantity.

I have noticed that back in those days giving yourself or someone else an enema was considered common first-aid for several situations. Now, if enemas are even mentioned in home health or child rearing books it is usually to tell you that enemas are not recommended. How times have changed.

I would love to have somewhere with scans of some of the relevant parts of these books, at least the ones out of copyright (though even the others there probably aren't enough pages to be a problem).

My experience was similar to what Cheryl wrote. We did not have an enema bag when I was a kid, only the red bulb so when I started reading about enemas as a teenager I was surprised to find that what I thought was a lot of water from several bulbs worth in my ass was really only about half of what some people took. It shocked me when I counted how many squirts with that red bulb it took to deliver two quarts measured out with a graduated pitcher. And I thought my gut would explode with those two quarts in me. But that didn't stop me.

I remember as a young adult checking out the health aisle at the public library, checking the table of contents of various books for any mention of enemas, looking for some new or different information. I also remember noticing that over the years enemas became less popular as a subject in books for home health care. There was a time a few years back when cleansing enemas were part of some diet fads but even that has decreased. I never did the diet but I tried several of the cleansing enemas just for kicks. Of course this was all before the internet so I didn't know there were so many of us who did this for fun.

That was how my Dad found out about enemas.