| Description | This is a Higginson-type enema, now in two pieces.
It is composed of black-painted red India rubber, now stiff due to wear and tear, and a bone pipe.
The bone pipe is attached to the broken tip of the tube, which was connected to the pump body at one end. At the other end, another tube would have ended with a shield that would have been immersed in water. The bulb-shaped pump would then have been squeezed to flow the water and make the enema work.
On the surface of the pump, there are some stains and residues, and a maker's stamp is slightly visible in a double oval print in black ink, with the readable text "British Make".
This type of enema was used for colonic irrigation and cleansing the bowel. It was often employed to treat constipation or to prepare patients for medical procedures that required a clear bowel. |