Constipation

Condition of delayed or difficult or deficient movements of the bowels is constipation.
Precaution, suggestion, also signs & symptoms:
a) It affects nearly everyone at some time or the other
b) One should inculcate daily habit of passing stools from childhood
c) If neglected, one suffers from constipation. So it is psychological
d) People lose the reflex action if they try to control Nature’s Call or avoid using toilet due
to insanitary conditions.
e) Irregular distribution of water in the digestive and intestinal tracts leads to constipation
f) Disturbance in the nervous mechanism
g) Intestinal/mechanical obstruction of the bowel
h) Insufficient exercise
i) Foods deficient in the natural mineral salts
j) Lack of sodium sulphate, sodium phosphate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride
k) Lack of tone of the colon muscle and of the villi of the intestine
l) Rectal disturbance needing manual evacuation
m) Diet should include fresh fruits, green vegetables, dried fruits such as prunes, plenty of
fluids, raw fruit juices and water
Remedies:
1) Alumina 6x or 12x: For constipation of infants and old persons, it may be given twice a day
for utmost seven days. Even a soft stool is passed after great straining. There may be pain in
back, arm and fingers as if hot iron penetrated.
2) Silicea 6x or 12x: We cite a case-record of Dr I.P. Johnson: “Mother of three children;
constipation since birth of last child, three months ago. Cathartics had failed. The stools were
hard and dry, were partially expelled with much straining, and then receded into the rectum.
Silicea cured in four doses, taken night and morning.” Calcarea Fluor 6x or 12x may be taken
with Silicea. Inability to expel feces requires its administration.
3) Kali Mur 6x: In the case of torpid liver and deficiency of bile, Dr J. B. Chapman prescribed
a ten-grain dose each evening, next morning there was a natural evacuation. Satisfactory results
were obtained by continuity of this treatment.
4) Natrum Mur 3x every 2 hours for 4/5 days: Dryness of the mucous linings of the bowels, with
watery secretions from other tissues such as excess of saliva, tears from eyes etc and hard dry
black stools need use of this remedy persistently.
5) Carbolic Acid 6x, twice a day for 7/10 days: Constipation with very offensive odor; stools
black and putrid with great tenesmus, and fermentative dyspepsia. Terrible pains come and
vanish suddenly.
6) Carbo Veg 12x, thrice a day for a week: Much flatulence with colic; burning sensation, also
cough & coryza; food putrifies before it is digested.
Remarks: “Purgatives and laxatives containing medicinal paraffin oil are detrimental to the bowel
and should not be used.”