Magnesium Sulphate Treatment of Dysentery

Abstract

To the Editor: —On the first appearance of mucus and blood in the stools the patient with dysentery should be put to bed and kept there till the stools are free from blood and mucus and the patient free from pain. Liquid diet should be given and the patient should not be allowed to sit up. When the patent is first put to bed he should be given an enema of a quart of warm water that has been boiled, to which two heaping tablespoonfuls of magnesium sulphate have been added and thoroughly dissolved. This should be introduced into the lower colon by means of a fountain syringe with the regular hard rubber rectal tip that comes with the syringe; a rectal or colon tube should never be used, for it wounds the inflamed surfaces. The enema should be repeated every four hours until the actions are free from blood