Kellogg's Crackpot Theory

Somewhat off-topic:

John Harvey Kellogg was a firm believer in a scientifically worthless theory called autointoxication. As far back as the times of the Egyptians there was a belief that disease sprang from waste products lingering in the body. This theory was picked up by the Greeks. It persisted for centuries and was pushed in the 19th Century by Mechnikov. The primary notion became that the body was incapable of ridding itself of toxins in the colon.

Prior to 1920, autointoxication was an accepted medical theory but science intervened and showed there was no merit to the belief. Believers in the theory used enemas and purgatives, as described in the film. In the extreme, people had surgery to remove sections of the colon so wastes would be expelled more rapidly and not linger.

Many people today fall prey to unscrupulous advocates of autointoxication. Quacks have become wealthy pushing expensive products for "colon cleansing". One well-known product runs a few hundred dollars. Those undergoing colonoscopies clean their colons for a few dollars with products available at any grocery or drug store.

A variant on the theory is that one should have "regular" bowel movements. So people take laxatives when a better diet will easily solve any problem of gastric distress. Laxatives have many negative effects on the body. If one eats a reasonable diet including fruits, vegetables, and fiber, there is no need to spend large amounts of money to follow in the footsteps of John Harvey Kellogg.