Nutrient enema

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A nutrient enema, also known as feeding per rectum, rectal alimentation, or rectal feeding, is an enema administered to provide nutrition in cases where normal eating is not possible. In modern medicine, nutrient enemas have been superseded by tube feeding and parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding).[citation needed]

History

This treatment is ancient, dating back at least to the second century AD when documented by Galen,[1] and commonly used in the Middle Ages,[2] remaining a common technique in 19th century.[2]

Doctor Willard Bliss prescribed this treatment to United States President James A. Garfield after his attempted assassination by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881.[3] Garfield died after a failed recovery on September 19, 1881.

In 1941, the U.S.' military manual for hospital diets prescribed use of nutrient enemas.[4]

In 2014, when the United States Senate Intelligence Committee published an unclassified summary of its 6,000 page classified report on the CIA's use of torture, its previously unknown practices of brutally forced nutrient enemas on detainees who attempted hunger strikes[5] and of "rectal rehydration" for punishment and torture became apparent.[6][7]

Physiology

A variety of different mixes have been used for nutrient enemas throughout history. A paper published in Nature in 1926 stated that because the rectum and lower digestive tract lack digestive enzymes, it is likely that only the end-products of normal digestion such as sugars, amino acids, salt and alcohol, will be absorbed.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Mattern, Susan P. (2008), Galen and the Rhetoric of Healing, Maryland, USA: Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 31, 145, 149, ISBN 978-0-8018-8835-9 – via Google Books
  2. ^ a b Mackenzie, J. W. A. (March 1943). "The Nutrient Enema". Arch. Dis. Child. 18 (93): 22–7. doi:10.1136/adc.18.93.22. PMC 1987791. PMID 21032242 – via United States National Library of Medicine.
  3. ^ Bliss, D. W.; Banov, Leon (July 18, 1882). "Feeding Per Rectum: As Illustrated in the Case of the Late President Garfield and Others". The Medical Record. Washington, D.C.
  4. ^ "War Department Technical Manual Hospital Diets" (PDF). Technical Manuals. United States Department of War. October 13, 1941. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  5. ^ Yuhas, Alan (December 9, 2014). "Controversial 'Rectal Feeding' Technique Used to Control Detainees' Behaviour". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
  6. ^ Rosenberg, Carol (December 11, 2014). "Senate Report Confirms CIA Had 'Black Site' at Guantanamo, Hid It from Congress". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2014-12-12. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  7. ^ Mazzetti, Mark (December 9, 2014). "Senate Torture Report Condemns C.I.A. Interrogation Program". The New York Times. Washington, D.C. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  8. ^ "Rectal Alimentation". Nature. 118 (2980): 858–859. December 11, 1926. Bibcode:1926Natur.118..858.. doi:10.1038/118858a0.
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