Nature & Pathology of the Disease
Constipation is regarded in nature cure as the primary disorder and the "mother of all diseases." It is a sluggish condition of the bowels in which the faecal matter becomes dry, hard, compacted, and evacuated irregularly, infrequently, or with great difficulty and straining.
When the bowels are evacuated normally, waste products resulting from cellular breakdown and digestion are promptly cast out within 16 to 24 hours. In constipation, uneliminated faecal residues stagnate in the colon for 48 to 72 hours or longer. Under warm, moist internal conditions, putrefactive bacterial fermentation rapidly breaks down stagnated proteinaceous waste, generating toxic decomposition by-products including indol, skatol, phenol, and ptomaines.
These poisons are reabsorbed through the mucosal lining of the colon directly into the bloodstream and lymphatic channels—a dangerous systemic condition known as intestinal autointoxication or self-poisoning. The contaminated blood overburdens the secondary organs of elimination and deposits toxins into organs, accelerating degenerative changes.
Symptoms & Clinical Manifestations
The foremost clinical symptom of constipation is infrequent, irregular, or difficult evacuation of the bowels. The patient may pass motions only once in two or three days, or pass small, hard, dry, knotty balls accompanied by painful straining and a persistent sensation of incomplete evacuation.
In chronic, long-standing cases, the continuous mechanical pressure of hardened faeces and violent straining during defecation cause venous engorgement in the pelvic plexus, directly giving rise to haemorrhoids (piles), painful anal fissures, rectal prolapse, diverticulitis, chronic pelvic congestion, and spastic colitis.
Primary & Underlying Causes
The chief and most pervasive cause of constipation is a wrong, unnatural diet deficient in living organic bulk and roughage. The civilized diet is overloaded with devitalized, refined, and demineralized foods such as white flour (maida) products, polished white rice, white sugar, confectioneries, heavy cheese, and flesh foods. Stripped of natural cellulose and bran husk, they leave virtually no fibrous residue to mechanically stimulate peristalsis.
Habitual ingestion of chemical laxatives and purgatives represents a catastrophic secondary cause. While producing temporary evacuation by violently irritating the bowel mucosa, they inevitably exhaust the autonomic nerves of the colon, producing muscular atony and lifelong chemical dependency.
Dietary Cure & Cleansing Protocol
The only permanent and scientific cure for constipation lies in correcting faulty dietary habits, cleaning the encrusted colon of morbid encumbrances, and supplying the intestinal musculature with living, unrefined roughage and vitalizing organic mineral salts.
Powerful Natural Food Remedies
Nature cure provides several exceptionally potent food remedies whose natural properties dissolve intestinal impactions, lubricate the bowel walls, and restore natural tone:
Hydrotherapy & Nature Cure Measures
Simple natural hydrotherapeutic treatments are invaluable in restoring muscular and nervous vitality to the sluggish pelvic organs:
Yogasanas & Healthful Lifestyle Practices
Physical exercise and yogic asanas play a vital role in strengthening the flabby abdominal walls and reviving visceral reflexes: