An essay on rectal medication / by William Bodenhamer.

  • Bodenhamer William, 1808-1905.
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on rectal medication / by William Bodenhamer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    TABLE OF CONTENTS. SECTION I. GENERAL REMARKS. It is not only important and necessary to know, in what case, in what dose, in what form, but also by what channel a therapeutic remedy should be adminis- tered. The great point or desideratum in the use of all medicines. The absolute necessity, in many instances, of some other than stomachic medication. Some of these instances given. More or less attention, for ages, has been directed to the subject of the function, or the absorbing power, which certain surfaces or parts of the body are endowed with for medicines. A prevailing idea has almost always existed that before a medicine can exert any remote action upon the system, it must first be received mto the economy in some manner—that is, either by absorption or by some other process. To effect this important object, physicians in all ages have resorted to numerous and various methods and contrivances, of which the first, most important, and most common was stomachic medication—that is, the swallowing of the medicine. The other principal methods subsequently introduced and prac- tised, were the epidermic or iatraliptic, the enepidermic, the endermic, the hypodermic, the intra-venous, and the lingual. Each of these methods described, and their merits and demerits considered. Of these, the hypoder- mic method is the most valuable ; but not, in the opinion of the author, as important and as valuable as rectal medication... Pages 3-8. SECTION II. METHODS OF RECTAL MEDICATION. How rectal medication is chiefly effected. The method by enemata, by suppos- itories, by insufflation, and by electro-galvanic currents. Enemata, their description, history, composition, quality, quantity, design, and manner of administration. Tolerance of the rectum. It will not, as a general rule, tolerate irritating substances or rapid distention without resistance. The rectum, however, may .sooner or later be instructed to bear irritating injec- tions and rapid distention. A rectal syringe, especially intended for intro- ducing medicated enemata for retention, differing from the common syringe by having a screw piston. Recto-colonic tube and double-action pump