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Cathartics and the Sodium Pump

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Abstract

THE classical concept of the action of the vegetable cathartics is that they irritate the intestinal mucosa. As a result of this ‘irritation’ intestinal motility is increased, and it is assumed that fluid contents are hurried through the intestine so fast that water and electrolytes cannot be absorbed as they are normally because the bowel contents are in contact with the mucosal cells for too short a period of time1–3.

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References

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Author notes

  1. A. H. G. LOVE

    Present address: Department of Medicine, The Queen's University of Belfast,

  2. A. H. G. LOVE: Guest scientist and Medical Research Council Fellow.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2, 7–1 Kung Yuan Lu, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    R. A. PHILLIPS, A. H. G. LOVE, T. G. MITCHELL & E. M. NEPTUNE JUN.

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  1. R. A. PHILLIPS
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  2. A. H. G. LOVE
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  3. T. G. MITCHELL
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  4. E. M. NEPTUNE JUN.
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PHILLIPS, R., LOVE, A., MITCHELL, T. et al. Cathartics and the Sodium Pump. Nature 206, 1367–1368 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/2061367a0

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