Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

Roach discusses the historical practice of rectal feeding, a medical procedure used from ancient Egypt through the early 20th century to nourish patients who could not keep food down orally. This approach involved administering liquid nutrients through enemas, based on the mistaken belief that the large intestine could effectively absorb complex nutrients.

The chapter centers on President James Garfield’s assassination in 1881 as a prominent case study. After being shot, Garfield was treated by Dr. D. W. Bliss. For over a month until his death, Garfield received only nutrient enemas containing beef extract, egg yolks, and whiskey. Roach describes how these rectal feedings created significant problems, including offensive odors from decomposing food that made treatment unbearable for both patient and caregivers.

Scientific experiments eventually proved that rectal feeding was largely ineffective. Researchers discovered that the small intestine, where 90% of nutrient absorption occurs, cannot be reached through reverse feeding under normal circumstances. The colon and rectum can only absorb simple substances like glucose and some vitamins, meaning rectal meals could delay death but not truly sustain life.

Roach explores the related phenomenon of autocophrophagia (consuming feces) in the animal kingdom, detailing how nutritionist Richard Henry Barnes studied this behavior in laboratory rats during the 1950s.