Colonic irrigation is promoted by herbalists, chiropractors and naturopaths as a cure for colds, flu, headaches, insomnia, memory loss, poor circulation and obesity.
These people claim that constipation causes the body to poison itself through a process called "autointoxication.
" Accumulated fecal wastes supposedly produce various toxins in the blood which result in all kinds of diseases.
To remedy this, enemas are prescribed which deliver 20 or more gallons of warm water mixed with herbs, coffee or other substances into the rectum.
"This theory was popular around the turn of the century but was abandoned by the scientific community during the 1930s.
No such 'toxins' have ever been identified," according to Dr.
Stephen Barrett, a psychiatrist, consumer advocate, prize winning author and board member of the National Council Against Health Fraud Inc.
in "Health Scams, Schemes and Frauds" published by Consumer Reports Books.
Enemas do have their proper place in medicine, especially for diagnostic purposes and for the treatment of chronic constipation.
Frequent enemas, however, can worsen rather than cure constipation which is why they are not recommended said Dr.
Morris Fishbein, the late editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, in his "Popular Illustrated Medical Encyclopedia.
" What's more, people have different bowel habits and those identified by quacks as constipated may not be necessarily so.
Quacks say people should have bowel movements after every meal.
This is misleading since it takes about 10 to 20 hours for wastes to form and travel down to the rectum where it is eliminated.
"No organ of the body is as misunderstood, maltreated, and fussed over as the digestive tract.
It has been purged, irrigated, lavaged, massaged, and pummeled, all in the name of that great obsession, the daily bowel movement.
It is commonly believed that the waste matter left after digestion has been completed must be expelled 24 to 48 hours after the food is eaten," explained the editors of "The Medicine Show", a publication of the Consumers Union of America.
"Not everyone operates on a once-a-day schedule.
It is common to find people in perfect health who defecate two or three times a day, and others who have a single evacuation every two or three days without the slightest ill effect.
There are many individuals who have bowel movements at still longer intervals without any impairment of health," they added.
Colonic irrigation has other dangers.
It can kill people by transmitting fatal infections with the use of contaminated equipment.
"The enema machines are not always properly designed or properly cleaned.
Microbes from one person's intestines may contaminate a machine, and then enter the intestines of many others.
One outbreak of amebiasis in Colorado was traced to a chiropractor's enema machine.
Ten of the victims required surgery.
Seven died," said Kurt Butler of the Quackery Action Council of Hawaii and Dr.
Lynn Rayner, of the John A.
Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii in "The Best Medicine.
"