Personal hygiene / ed. by Maurice Le Bosquet.

  • Le Bosquet, Maurice
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Personal hygiene / ed. by Maurice Le Bosquet. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    99 Neglect of this internal cleaning is much more disas- trous than failure to clean the skin, for the skin is practically non-absorbent, while in the colon absorp- tion takes place constantly. A pasty complexion indicates defective internal cleansing more often than lack of care of the skin. It is surprising how many people, especially women, neglect this function. The vice of constipation is very prevalent among people whose occupation is sedentary. In addition to rectal troubles, such as piles and hemorrhoids, neglect leads to headache and various minor disorders. The remedy for constipation is not by drugging, but by the removal of the underlying cause, and es- pecially in establishing good habits. Regularity is as important here as regularity of meals. Defeca- tion should take place daily and preferably at ike same hour, so that the habit may become established. Food eaten should be such as will leave considerable bulk to be eliminated, that is, the diet should con- tain an abundance of vegetables and fruits, and grains which have not had all of their outer covering removed, such as oatmeal and whole wheat. Fats and oils help in some cases. Plenty of water should be taken; exercise, especially such as work the ab- dominal muscles and sometimes massage is helpful. The organs chiefly concerned in eliminating the wastes from the blood are the lungs and kidneys. Carbon dioxide, and incidentally some water, is dis- Constipation Wastes in the Blood