A Brief History of Colonic Irrigation Practices Including Modern Colon Hydrotherapy

by Cheryl Ashby, C.C.T (retrieved from http://www.colonhealth.net/colon_hydrotherapy/ct_hstry.htm, 8/23/10)

The therapy of the colon (large intestine) and its benefits have been known and practiced for hundreds of years.  Dating back to ancient times, enemas were recorded as early as 1500 B.C., in an Egyptian medical document called the "Eber Papyrus". Hippocrates, Pare and Galen also advanced the use of enema therapy.  People implemented enema treatments in a river by using a hollow reed to induce water to flow into the rectum.

At an earlier time in America... Enemas were commonly used to help maintain health and stave off disease. For example, before the departure of the Lewis and Clarke expedition, a physician instructed them in the appropriateness of using enemas in cases of fever and illness. Our grandparents and great-grandparents grew up with the knowledge and use of enemas, as a widely accepted procedure for reversing the onset of illness.

In the early 1900's in Battle Creek, Michigan... John H. Kellogg, M.D., extensively used colon therapy, specifically colonics, on some forty thousand of his patients. In 1917 he reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association — that in all but 20 cases — he used no surgery for the treatment of gastrointestinal disease in his patients!

“In times past, knowledge of the bowel was more widespread and people were taught how to care for the bowel. Somehow, bowel wisdom got lost and it became something that no one wanted to talk about anymore.”— Bernard Jensen, D.C.

The popularity of colon therapy in the United States reached its apex in the 1920's and 1930's. At that time, colonic irrigation machines were commonly seen, and regularly used as a standard practice, in hospitals and physician's offices. But in the ensuing 60 to 70 years the public's use and access to this valuable health treatment greatly decreased.

Today, the general lack of knowledge regarding the use of colonic irrigation and colon hydrotherapy — as well as other holistic health care treatments — could be the single most important factor in the current ill-health of many Americans. Add to this the widely held belief by many orthodox medical practitioners, "that such treatments are no longer useful," and you get an over-reliance on treatment options limited to prescription drugs and surgery.

“Proper bowel management which is conducive to excellent health, can never be achieved through continuous use of drugs and surgery.”

We believe the answer lies in time-proven and natural approaches to health care... including alternative therapies such as colonic irrigation using Colon Hydrotherapy! And with in the last 10 years... There has been a resurgence of interest using alternative medicine and taking personal responsibility for ones own health care.

Once again people are discovering the many health benefits of maintaining a strong and biologically sound colon. This return to using colon therapy has also been bolstered by the development of sophisticated colon hydrotherapy machines which make colonic irrigation and colon therapy, both safe and convenient.

It is hoped this grass roots movement towards personal health responsibility using alternative health therapies and colonic irrigation to restore and maintain superior colon health — will be joined by traditional health care practitioners... Even more in The FUTURE!