INTESTINAL IRRIGATION 165 



his few days of intense suffering that it took two months' 

 nursing to replace. 



' The interest in this case is centred in the long rectum 

 tube. From a considerable experience in bowel com- 

 plaints, I came to the conclusion some time ago that if I 

 could throw an enema into the colon I would accomplish 

 two objects: (i) Would act directly on an obstruction 

 seated far forward, and (2) would place the enema 

 beyond the expelling powers of the patient, and so enable 

 the water to act mechanically on the contents of the 

 bowel, and also restore the tone of the gut. I accord- 

 ingly sent to Messrs. Arnold a description of the tube I 

 required ; it was to be 6 feet in length, made of gum 

 elastic, the same calibre as the ordinary Read's enema 

 tubing, and was to fasten on to this tubing when the 

 ordinary wooden nozzle was unscrewed ; its extremity 

 was to be round and perforated. Messrs. Arnold sent 

 me the exact article, which I have no hesitation in say- 

 ing saved the life of the horse whose case I have just 

 detailed. There is no difficulty in passing it ; having 

 been well oiled, with gentle pressure it finds its way 

 along the course of the rectum, and when it refuses 

 to go further no force should be used ; all that is 

 required, should it be necessary to pass it further for- 

 ward, is to pump in a gallon or so of water, which 

 dilates the bowel in front of it, and the passage is accom- 

 plished. It is fair to state that I have had cases where I 

 could not get more than half that distance up, probably 

 owing to an irritable condition of the gut, but even 

 in these there is an immense advantage gained over the 

 ordinary wooden nozzle, which is only put in for a few 

 inches. I have constantly made experiments with the 

 ordinary apparatus on the dead subject in an erect 

 attitude, and find that with it no enema can go mo' e 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



