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To the proverbial constancy of death and taxes, physicians might well be tempted to add constipation. This volume of modest size and pretensions addresses itself to the latter problem with suprising effectiveness. Its opening chapter summarizes our current knowledge of colon physiology (with emphasis on motility) and recent study techniques. Regrettably, there remains a large gap between this body of knowledge and our ability to apply it to the management of constipation and many other bowel diseases. This is acknowledged by the contributors who present, in clear and simple fashion, both the practical and special aspects of constipation relating to obstetrics, pediatrics, general medicine, and geriatrics.
One chapter is devoted to a detailed discussion of therapeutic agents that are useful, harmful, or obsolete in the management of constipation. This is a useful reference source on mode and site of action of a wide variety of agents. Side-effects are also discussed