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001 77683
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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aRC
100 1 _aMartin, Thomas Charles,
_d1864-1926
245 1 0 _aObstipation
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2026
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
500 _aRelease date is 2026-01-12
508 _adeaurider and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
520 _a"Obstipation" by Thomas Charles Martin is a medical monograph written in the late 19th century. It argues that the rectal valve is a real and clinically crucial structure whose pathology underlies many cases of obstructed defecation, distinguishing this from ordinary constipation. The work emphasizes careful anatomical study, direct visualization via proctoscopy, and modified treatment strategies for strictures in both infants and adults. The opening of the monograph defines obstipation versus constipation and explains the need to resolve long-standing disputes about rectal anatomy, especially the existence and role of the rectal valve. Martin reviews the literature chronologically, contrasting authorities who deny valves with those who describe them, and sets out to prove their presence with photographs, microscopic sections, and reproducible inspection methods. He traces the development of atmospheric inflation and proctoscopy (from Sims and Van Buren onward), then details how to examine the rectum noninstrumentally in the knee-chest position and instrumentally with an anoscope and proctoscope, including patient positioning and lighting. A topographic anatomy follows, distinguishing the fixed anal segment from the movable abdominal rectum, describing the sphincters, levator ani, and visible anal landmarks, and warning against common diagnostic errors. He then presents cast and histologic evidence for semilunar rectal valves, outlines their typical number and placement, and links their function to staged fecal transit during defecation. The section closes by introducing obstipation in infants, attributing their straining to immature musculature, excessive bowel mobility, obstructive valves, and a tight anus. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _pOriginally published:
_cPhiladelphia: The Philadelphia Medical Publishing Co, 1899
653 _aRectum -- Diseases
653 _aConstipation
653 _aProctology
856 4 _uhttps://archive.org/details/65830250R.nlm.nih.gov
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/77683
999 _c118403
_d118403