624 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
studying forge work, which serves admirably as a probe in my 
dentistry work. 
“ This ungainly contrivance is a rectal syringe. See Figure 
i-f. I can say in its favor that I did not lose any case of alfalfa 
impaction this fall and winter and I used the syringe on several 
cases. Two pieces of brass tubing, one seven-eighth and the en¬ 
closed one of half-inch stock; a three-way valve and hose con¬ 
nection; Figure i-g, an eighth-inch rubber ball with burrs and 
washers made to fit the pipes, comprise the outfit. Figure i-h. 
The ball while collapsible is inserted in the rectum; is filled tightly 
Figure i. a—Poultice boot, b—Steel cast for fractures, c—Hernial clamps. 
with water, after which a turn of the stop cock (g) allows the 
water to dilate the bowel anterior to the plug. Thus the bowel is 
dilated from an impacted mass usually lodged in the floating 
colon (in cases of alfalfa impaction as we have them), and soon 
the mass is softened and moved by some alkaloidal intestinal 
evacuant. Later I hope to add a very sensitive pressure gauge to 
this tip to determine the pressure exerted upon the bowel wall 
and content, during the patient’s straining. By watching the 
gauge any danger of dilating a bowel beyond its capacity would 
be eliminated. 
