Dr. F.P. Atkinson thus writes in the Practitioner, January, 1884: I suppose there is no derangement of the system we are more frequently called upon to treat than habitual constipation; and though all kinds of medicines are suggested for its relief, they rarely produce more than temporary benefit--and it is difficult to see how the result can well be otherwise, while the root of the evil remains untouched. Now by far the more numerous subjects of this disorder are women; and as they do not seem to know that regularity is essential to the performance of every one of nature's operations, they appoint no stated times for trying to get the bowels relieved, but trust to receiving intimation when the rectal accumulation and distension can be borne no longer. This method of action may and does answer fairly well for a time; but nature gradually gets upset, the sensation of the lower bowel becomes blunted, and at last it ceases to respond to the ordinary stimulus. Then aperients are regularly resorted to, and although these act fairly well for a time, they gradually have to be increased in strength and frequency. Now, as regards the treatment, the first thing to be accomplished is of course to get the rectum well relieved; the next, to get the actions to take place at fixed times; and lastly, it is necessary to get more tone imparted to the muscular tissue of the bowels, so that the regularity of action may be helped and also maintained. In order, then, to get the bowels relieved in the first instance, it is well to give five grains of both compound colocynth and compound rhubarb pill at bed-time (this rarely requires to be repeated), then to take a tumblerful of cold water the next morning on waking, and repeat it regularly at the same time each day. Should the bowels remain sluggish for some time, the same quantity of water may be taken daily before each meal. Supposing no action takes place on rising or shortly after, a small injection of warm water may be resorted to. After each movement of the bowels, a small hand-ball syringeful of cold water should be thrown into the rectum and retained. A soup plateful of coarse oatmeal porridge (made with water and taken according to the Scotch method, viz., by filling half the spoon with the hot porridge and the other with cold milk) each night at bed-time, or even every night and morning for a time, is often a very great help. But above all things, it is necessary for the patient to try and get relief at a certain fixed time regularly every day. If these directions are strictly carried out in their entirety, the evil, even if it has been of long standing, will generally be corrected, and the patient will improve in health and appearance. Of course where the constipation results from exhaustion of the nervous system (such, for instance, as is brought about by self-abuse), the special cause has to be taken into consideration, and such treatment adopted as is suited to the particular necessities of the case.