Physics, Laxatives, and Enema. The sale of bowel stimulants and constipation cures is soaring because constipation is invited in later life by our trend toward sedentary rather than active leisure hours. Television is an outstanding contributor to this annoying situation.

Strong physics such as castor oil, irritate the intestinal tract and stimulate great waves of propelling activity, forcing the intestinal stream to gush through the colon and anus. Other physics, such as Epsom Salts and the well-advertised bulk laxatives, have a great blotter-like action which draw large quantities of water into the intestinal tract to make the bowel movements large and watery. The enema is probably the simplest way of putting water into the bowel to clear the colon. Though probably much overdone, an enema is essentially harmless, is quite simple to perform, and is often used in hospitals.

There are times when physics, laxatives and enemas are of value and even necessary, but most of the time their effect can be obtained by drinking more water, including a little more fiber in the diet, and getting regular exercise. Remedies for constipation however, will probably champion our drug store counters for many years, as our population ages and our sedentary lives create more drug store dependents among us.

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