Different Loving: The World of Sexual Dominance and Submission (92 page)

T
he enema is a regular practice in the lives of people who neither suspect the erotic role it has played in human history nor realize that the eroticization of enemas
(klismaphilia)
is a widely known sexual variation. In order to understand the use of enemas, whether in D&S or other erotic play, one must first understand the enema’s evolution. In this chapter, we take a brief look at the long history of enemas and hear from:

An enema is an anal injection of liquid into the large intestine to induce defecation. An enema kit comprises a plastic or rubber bag which is filled with liquids, and a rubber hose and nozzle. A clip may be attached to the hose to prevent or regulate flow. The most common nozzle used is the Bardex tip, which can be inflated with a small pump so that once the tube is in place, it cannot slide out accidentally. Another type favored by klismaphiliacs is a double Bardex. This has two ballooning sections that can be inflated—one inside the body, the second immediately outside the anus. The double Bardex secures the tube so that it can neither slide down nor move up.

The most common (and some say the only justifiable) medical uses of enemas are to ease bowel movement in cases of extreme obstipation; to empty the bowel for medical procedures (such as colonoscopy, or a preoperative preparation); to introduce a tracing agent (as in a barium enema); or to manage bedridden or otherwise debilitated patients. Enemas may also be required when someone has become so dependent upon them that normal bowel function is compromised. For the most part, physicians now believe that laxatives are more effective (although not necessarily less addictive) in the treatment of constipation than are enemas. Mainstream medical opinion does not support many enthusiasts’ belief that enemas promote superior health and personal well-being, an idea probably derived from antiquated notions of health and purging.

One of the earliest historical records of enemas is found in an Egyptian text (circa 1500
B.C
.), which advised the use of laxatives and enemas to combat constipation and recommended that all people receive enemas at least once a month. In the Fifth Century
B.C
., Herodotus alleged that Egyptians had derived their ideas about the value of enemas from watching their sacred bird, the ibis, which was reputed to relieve constipation by probing its own anus with its long, slender beak. Surviving stone carvings and hieroglyphics attest that Egyptian enema nozzles were fashioned in the form of an ibis beak or the entire head and beak.
¹

The purging of the body was a medical and philosophical obsession in Europe from the Middle Ages to nearly modern times, as conjecture about the accretion of bile and other supposedly lethal toxins was widely accepted as fact. The theory that the body comprises “humors,” which are subject to lethal imbalances, was described by the Greek physician Galen (circa
A.D
.
130–200), whose writings were the basis of medieval European medicine. Physicians advised purging, whether through induced vomiting or enemas (and often supplemented by bloodletting), to restore the body to its natural balance. In Chaucer’s “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” a poetic and medically astute chicken recommends that her friend, a nightmare-afflicted rooster, ingest caustic laxatives to purge the black toxin buildup which indubitably caused his problems.

The enema—once also called clyster from the Greek
klyster
(“to wash out”)—was eventually adopted as a universal panacea.

In France the enema enjoyed a long vogue and became something of an art form. Clystering was an institution at the court of Louis XIV and consequently was imitated throughout society. Pharmacists known as
limonadiers des postérieurs
³
(a vernacular modern translation would be “soda jerk of the backside”) visited patrons’ homes equipped with an astonishing variety of nozzles and mixtures each morning. Specific clysters were used for specific purposes.

Although no documentation exists as to what specific erotic pleasure enthusiasts derived from the administration of the clysters, the relish with which enthusiasts—including notables such as Casanova and Cardinal Richelieu, according to Panati—welcomed their multiple daily invasions at least suggests that the sensation was probably not unpleasant.

By the mid-19th Century, the popularity of enemas had greatly declined as the ill effects of their excessive use—particularly impairment of the
natural bowel function—became known. Also, since abrasives or caustics were frequently added to the clyster solution, a spectrum of disorders—including weakening and rupturing of the large intestine—resulted. Any irritants in an enema solution are dangerous.

The belief that enemas serve a vital health purpose by purging the body of toxins has not disappeared. Actress Mae West, for one, publicly advocated the regular use of enemas as a foundation of superior health.

The practice of giving enemas to children to combat illness is an old custom that has persisted into this century. Moreover, some parents also administered enemas to children as a form of punishment or control. The superfluity of these measures was noted by Wilhelm Stekel over 40 years ago.

That an enema can be extremely humbling is no secret; nor is the fact that energetic voiding of the bowels may leave one “calm.” The salutary effects on a child’s obstinacy—however cruel the method may seem to us now—undoubtedly persuaded many parents of the enema’s practicality. Many klismaphiliacs assert that their attachment to enemas began in childhood. For some, this was one of the few times when close physical contact between parent and child was permitted.

The continuing use of enemas to purge toxins is the triumph of belief over science. A healthy body is adequately efficient in ridding itself of wastes without the assistance of invasive, albeit well-meaning, technology. While no data are available on the prevalence of home enema administration, Fleet enema kits for adults and children are readily obtainable in every drugstore, suggesting that a fairly sizeable population uses enemas for reasons other than strictly medical. Stekel believed that the use of enemas by adults is a thinly veiled expression of anal eroticism.

Today professional enema administration is on the decline in hospital settings and on the rise at “colonic irrigation” spas, which tout their services much as the old French
limonadiers
did, claiming somewhat mystical benefits for regular internal cleansing and promising a relaxation bordering on spiritual serenity. This trend was spoofed in the 1991 film
LA. Story
.

Many people, however, simply enjoy enemas for their erotic pleasure. These individuals may perceive some health benefit but consciously pursue enhancement of their sexual well-being. Those who accept the erotic aspects of enemas seem to be most at ease with their activity. As a group, klismaphiliacs often remain extremely secretive and guilty. Many fear that their desires may become known and damage their professional or community standing. Fear of disapprobation, even among individuals who do not seek change, may help explain the popularity of colonic irrigation spas: Many find that a medical rationale permits them an otherwise taboo pleasure.

A preponderance of evidence suggests that the contemporary klismaphiliac is typically someone who received enemas in childhood.

This generalization is probably most pertinent to the person who is uniquely aroused by the enema itself and not by the roleplaying which may coincide with it. Often this is a person who self-administers an enema, enjoying the sensation.

Speculation that klismaphilia may have an anatomical basis (for example, that individuals who are aroused by enemas have more nerve endings near the anus than do others) dates back at least to Krafft-Ebing, but no scientific study has tested this assertion. Anecdotal information, however, suggests that
klismaphilia is, at least for some men, an “acceptable” (i.e., heterosexual) means of receiving stimulation to the anus.

In addition to the direct anal eroticism, the klismaphiliac may also keenly appreciate the rituals of preparation and administration; he may enjoy touching (as well as smelling or hearing the sound of) the rubber equipment, and he may also enjoy the odor of the solution.

The volume of liquid in the enema is often a key pleasure. (But it can represent a danger—and possibly be fatal—if a person attempts to introduce too great a volume of water.) Many klismaphiliacs feel comforted and aroused by the fullness in their bowels.

Psychodrama is also important to many klismaphiliacs. While klismaphiliacs may not enjoy any other type of D&S activity—and may firmly reject being labeled dominant or submissive—some power exchange is inherent in a majority of enema fantasies.

For the D&Ser an enema scenario may be a paradigmatic power experience. D&Sers who incorporate enema play into their power exchanges typically discover the erotic possibilities of enemas later in life and presumably without decisive childhood experience.

Enema play can take dozens of forms. According to several professional dominants, three very popular partner-oriented fantasy scenarios exist among D&S klismaphiliacs. In the first, a stern dominant erotically coerces the submissive to accept an enema in a D&S context, usually as punishment or discipline. The submissive may be bound or otherwise restrained, and his or her predicament may be further enhanced by verbal teasing or humiliation, fetish gear, or by a spectrum of ancillary D&S activities.