Gboy said:
I grew up in the 50's and 60's and whenever I was sick enough to be kept home from school my mother would give me a soapsuds enema every day during the illness whether it was a cold, flu, measles, chickenpox,etc. Most of my cousins got the same treatment and so did many of my friends. Our family doctor recommended it to my mother to keep my bowels opened up during the illness.
And, when I read this I remember many mornings thinking perhaps I just wasn't well enough to go to school (I never felt low like that on weekends, just school days) but I knew shortly after the family was out the door mom would come into my room with the Vaseline jar in one hand and shaking the thermometer down with the other, and say, "Alright, Thomas, roll over please and get your PJs down. I want to see if you have a temperature." I didn't mind, too much, the cool rod sliding up my bottom and she'd always sit beside me hand resting on my bottom to hold the thermometer in place, while we talked. At the end of the talk she'd say something like, "Okay, let's see if you have a temperature and then I'll get a good enema ready for you." Sometimes she'd then say, "and after your enema I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a spanking." "Oh mom," I'd plead, "I don't want a spanking. Why are you going to spank me?" to which she'd reply, "We'll be talking about that after your enema, but I've been thinking for a couple of days now you needed to be spanked and as long as you're home we'd best get it done. Wouldn't you rather be spanked now rather than at bedtime when everyone is home? We can talk about that after your enema. Come with me please."
There sorts of memories would be front and center when I thought of staying home from school and looming enema time, and perhaps worse, was plenty of reason to suddenly feel much better. So, if anyone tells you an enema doesn't cure a cold and sniffles, I can tell you just the thought of one works wonders in the feel better thinking.