Intestinal Irrigation by Alcinous B. Jamison

In the year 1496 an Italian, Gatenaria, invented an appliance for taking an enema; since that time depuratory instruments have had more or less vogue in all civilized countries. of late years inventive powers have been taxed to construct more convenient and effective appliances, and now perfection has been almost reached, and the poor civilizee, whose habits are really very bad from the savage point of view, may enjoy the delicious privilege of an internal bath whenever he feels the need of it. By any other name this bath is just as purifying: call it irrigation, injection, lavement, clyster, enema—its many names and what they mean testify to the fact that it is for the disease of civil¬iza¬tion.
From the Book.