Medical Fads and Fancies 39 
of the traffic in the intestines resulting in their slight 
stretching, and if the segmenting valves consequently 
no longer perfectly close but remain open, it follows that 
there will be pernicious transmission of pressure from 
one part of the alimentary tract to another, for one 
function.of these same valves seems to be that of keep- 
ing the pressure in certain sections of the gut at a cer- 
tain favorable degree. We feel this abnormal pressure, 
which can be relieved by belching or otherwise passing 
gas, but which the X-ray suggests is not due to gas but 
results from congestion of the intestinal contents and 
resulting delay in its movement. This doctrine we may 
call the theory of the abnormal transmission of intra- 
visceral tension; a sort of intestinal blood pressure. 
The foregoing conception has allowed us to begin to 
understand that most common of all diseases, constipa- 
tion, an appreciation of whose seriousness grows upon 
us as we begin to understand it. It also results in the 
same intestinal engorgement, pernicious pressure and 
broken valves that I have mentioned as produced by 
other causes. Taking purgatives relieves for the time 
being, because a purgative sweeps out the whole intes- 
tinal contents and thus relieves the tension. But it is 
a vicious habit and tends more and more to injury if 
continued. No one was ever cured of constipation by 
taking purgatives, rather it tends to make the condi- 
tion constantly worse as stronger and stronger agents 
are required. When one takes a purgative the entire 
contents of the intestines are liquefied and greatly in- 
creased in volume and so remain for a much longer 
period than we should be led to expect. There is also a 
straining, disorganizing and injurious action on the part 
of the intestines, which if continuously repeated leads to 
leaking valves and abnormal transmission of pressure. 
