Page 17 - Pharmacy History 22 Mar 2004

Enemas
by Catherine Bartho
The word enema, the plural of which is enemata, owes its origin to the Greek word enema meaning an injection or clyster.
The word clyster being derived from the Greek ‘kluster’, a syringe.
John Ardena respected medical man who flourished in the 14th century treated largely with clysters and considered salt an important and necessary ingredient.
an Equisier. The powerful spring is wound up after the barrel is filled with the enema fluid and on releasing the tap the spring forces the liquid through a tubing into the bowel.
Dr Phillip Muskett wrote several books for colonial Australians as guides to health and recommended that every household have a enema syringe as when it is wanted, the case is usually urgent and there is little time to buy or borrow one. The set comprising a bowl or container for the enema solution, two feet (60cm) of india-rubber tubing which had a bulb mid-way to syphon the fluid into the bowel. The end of the tubing was fitted with a bone stem with flanges. Care had to be taken in the colonies that the india-rubber did not crack
or perish and that the hose did not develop a kink if left in its box.
It is easy to forget since we live in
a time when feeding of life-giving nutrients is so efficient that the enema offered the only possibility to those unable to swallow. Beef tea, an egg beaten up with milk, and
opium. Westminister Hospital formula had peptone, grape sugar, sugar, eggs, peptonised milk, salt and red wine. The B.P.C.formula for Enema Peptoni Co. was beef tea, extract of malt, brandy and beef peptone.
Sedative enemas for severe diarrohea used starch and Laudanum (Tincture of Opium), Chloral Hydrate was also recommended. and a dose of 10 to 15 drops of Laudanum recommended for adults, two to three for children.
Purgative enemas were of large volume, up to two pints of warm liquid made from a soap solution with the addition of Castor Oil .
For a thorough unloading of the bowels, Turpentine Oil could
be added. This combination was recommended for flatulence, obstinate constipation and tympanic distension of the bowels.
Tincture of Asafetida was used as an enema for the distension of typhoid or peritonitis and infantile convulsions. Worms in children could be treated with an enema of salt and Infusion
of Quassia.
Edward Marsh wrote a dialogue between a recruit and his medical officer:
M.O.: How are your bowels working?
R: Haven’t been issued with any Sir.
M.O.: I mean are you constipated?
R: No Sir, I volunteered !
(With only a letter of difference the poor recruit could have confused the enemy for enema.)
Figure 1: French Equisier.
Enemas were used for three purposes:
• Firstly, as a purgative when bowels are obstinately shut up to get them open again.
• Secondly, when bowels are too loose, a sedative enema arrests their action.
Figure 2: Higginson’s Pattern Enema Syringe.
• Thirdly, as a method of introducing nourishment when
a patient could not swallow and therefore called a nutrient enema.
The French with their predilection for all things anal invented a personal enema for self administration called
mutton broth were options for home care. Hospital formulae listed in
the Pharmaceutical Formulas 1929, include glucose and peptonised milk. St. Bartholomew’s Hospital formula combined milk, plasmon, dextrose, solution of pancreatin and tincture of
volume 2 ■ no 23 ■ July 2004
Pharmacy History Australia ■ 17