The greater one's experience with en teroptosis, the more conservative and guarded his statements as regards treat ment and recovery. All floating kidneys and dislocated stomachs are not to be stitched into place; in fact, only a well chosen few are benefited by such opera tion. In most eases of general enterop tosis neph•or•haphy will be of no bene fit.
In gythiccological practice a large num ber of women with displacements and torn perinei have distressing nervous symptoms. The specialist. taking a nar row view of the ease, performs anterior fixation, uses pessaries, repairs the per ineum, and is disappointed in the re sults of his treatment. Many of these cases are enteroptotics. and the symp toms are as much dependent on dislo cated stomach, kidneys, and intestines as upon retroversion and anteflexion. Operation is advisable in cases accom panied by hydronephrosis and Dietl's crises, in which these are pure mechan ical disturbances resulting from a kink ing or twisting of the kidney-vessels which could occur only when this organ was dislocated.
Abdominal bandages or belts with properly applied pads may relieve symp toms in sonic cases. They should be ap plied with the patient in the knee-chest position or lying on her back, with the hips elevated. Reclining in bed often relieves the dragging sensation. In sonic eases in which the stomach symptoms arc prominent, occasional lavage and the use of dilute hydrochloric acid (if there is subacidity) are useful. Exer cise and massage of the abdominal mus cles are of great value, but can seldom be satisfactorily carried out. 'Many eases improve remarkably under the use of tincture of rutx voinica. The methol in vogue in Dr. Dock's clinic is to begin with 10 or 15 drops before each meal, increasing 1 drop daily until as high as 7(1 or SO drops are taken. This medica tion should be combined with overfeed ing. The general tone of the system is greatly improved, the nervous symp toms especially being relieved; the pa tient puts on flesh, and in every way, with the exception of the dislocations, is greatly benefited.
If the stomach is dilated or if there is retention of food as a result of kinking in the duodenum, gastric la vage should be used as indicated. There must be a
great deal of individualizing in the treatment of this condition. J. R. Ar neill (Amer. Jour. Med. Sci., Apr., 1901).
The treatment of enteroptosis should be directed to strengthening the general constitution by proper dietetic, hygienic, and therapeutic means. Iron, strych nine, arsenic, massage, electricity, med icated baths, and surf-baths, all have a proper sphere of usefulness. Very much comfort can be afforded the patient by a correctly applied plaster bandage, as first advocated by Dr. Achilles Rose, of New York, and Dr. H. Warren Lincoln, of Brooklyn, N. Y. This bandage is put on the nude figure of the patient in strips. A special straight-front corset which has a tendency to press the in testines upward—thereby making a cushion for the stomach, colon, and kid neys to rest upon—is also very useful. If the patient is emaciated, a fattening cure should be undertaken. Surgical in terference must be avoided. J. C. Hem meter (Inter. Med. Mag., March, 1902).
Colon, Inflammation of.
Synonyms.—Colitis; catarrh of the colon.
Definition.—Inflammation or catarrh of the colon may be part of the same process involving other parts of the in testinal tract as well, or it may be more or less localized to the large bowel.
Symptoms.—These differ in accord ance with the nature and the continu ance of the causative agent and with the extent and intensity of the morbid proc ess. The most distinctive manifestation is looseness of the bowels. There may be many movements hourly. The stools are usually small and they commonly con tain mucus; at times they are large and contain much fluid. They may be blood streaked. Often there is abdominal pain, of varying degree, and sometimes colicky in character. Not uncommonly there is some degree of tenesmus. There may be frequent ineffectual desire for stool. The temperature may be elevated, and in cases of acute onset there may be nausea and vomiting and marked constitutional depression. Appetite is generally lost, though in chronic cases it may be pre served. In long-standing cases nutrition fails and emaciation and weakness may be marked.