CLASSIFYING THE IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME: TRYING THE COMMON-SENSE APPROACH – THE MAGIC OF USING CASTOR OIL EXTERNALLYWhen most people think of castor oil they imagine the horrors of swallowing it. There is no need for this. This old-fashioned remedy is extremely effective when applied to the skin.For Constipation and Easing Bowel DiscomfortCastor oil is available in all pharmacies, usually in 3-oz bottles. The cold-pressed oil is best. You might be able to get this from a nutritionist or some health food stores.CONSTIPATION:J   Cut a piece of an old woollen vest, flannel, old blanket, lint, or any undyed absorbent material big enough to cover your abdomen.2 Put it in a bowl or bathroom basin and soak thoroughly in the oil.3 Massage the oil into the lower back and abdomen.4 Wrap a hot water bottle (don’t make it too hot to leave comfortably on the abdomen) in a wet tea towel or piece of old sheeting to make a steamy heat. Place this on the abdomen, making sure part of it is over the liver (under the ribs on the right side).5 Get into a warm bed. Lie on a large towel and wrap the ends over you to protect the sheets.6 Lie here for 30 minutes.7 When you get up take a warm shower or bath.If you put the oil-soaked cloth into a plastic bag it can be used up to three times before discarding or washing. You will of course need to add more oil. Since this simple treatment detoxifies the liver you might experience a slight dull ache in the liver area, which passes off usually within the hour. The oil goes through the skin to the internal organs, so don’t be surprised if the stool has a strange odour or seems oily. You can do this daily until you get satisfactory results and then continue twice weekly or when you feel you need it.*15\326\8*

A. We have briefly talked about the stomach and duodenum, two important sections of the gastrointestinal system. Now, let us look at this area in more detail, for huge numbers of people suffer from horrid little sores on the lining of the stomach and duodenum called peptic ulcers.

If you are interested in how words are manufactured, peptic comes from the Greek peptein which means to digest. So, the ulcers are related to digestion.

There are two forms, those that develop in the stomach which are termed gastric or stomach ulcers, and those which form in the next part of the bowel system, duodenal ulcers. Doctors often write G.U., or D.U. for short, and this is an accepted part of their shorthand system. They may occur in other parts of the bowel, but are uncommon.

Really, an ulcer is an erosion of the surface lining of the organ.

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