Excerpt from Mathews' Quarterly Journal of Rectal and Gastro-Intestinal Diseases, 1897, Vol. 4 Constipation is perhaps the most universal, and certainly m many cases the most unconquerable of, all diseases. We have awakened to the fact that this is not the simple and harmless condition it was once regarded, and with a broadened knowledge as to its complex nature and wide-reaching effects have come to realize its great importance. We now understand that, while in some cases it is merely a symptom, it is usually entitled to be regarded a disease and treated as such. The cholagogue-purga tive-enema method of treatment has been to a large extent abandoned and measures substituted which are based on the more scientific idea of removing the cause. Among these measures may be mentioned regulation of diet, attention to the hygiene of defecation, and abdominal massage. In my remarks upon the reflexes I intimated that rectal diseases sometimes have this indirect origin. This is notably true of constipation. In such cases the external sphincter is usually at fault. This is one of the most sensitive areas in the entire body, and a lesion so minute as to escape observation not infrequently gives rise to chronic Spasm and irritability of the Sphincter which result in marked hypertrophy. These cases are quickly and often perma nently relieved by thorough divulsion. At the same time a care ful examination may be instituted and any pathological condition present receive appropriate treatment. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.