Clyster

Clyster is an old-fashioned word for enema, more particularly for enemas administered using as clyster syringe — that is, a syringe with a rectal nozzle and a plunger. Clyster syringes were used from the modern era to the 19th century, when they were largely replaced by enema bulb syringes, bocks and bags.

Related Topics:
Enema - Syringe

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The patient was placed in an appropriate position (kneeling, with the buttocks raised, or lying on the side); some servant or apothecary would then insert the nozzle into the anus and depress the plunger, resulting in the liquid remedy (generally, water, but also some preparations) being injected into the colon.

Related Topics:
Apothecary - Anus - Colon

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Because of the embarrassment a woman might feel when showing her buttocks (and possibly her genitals, depending on the position) to a male apothecary, some contraptions were invented that blocked all from the apothecary's view except for the anal area. Another invention was syringes equipped with a special bent nozzle, which enabled self-administration, thereby eliminating the embarrassment.

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Clysters were administered for symptoms of constipation - and with more questionable effectiveness; stomach aches, and other illnesses.

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