Hemorrhoids during the reign of King Louis XIV were treated with enemas. Religious expeditions were frequently done by the Kings of France to the enshrinement of St. Fiachra. He was the saint who developed enlarged veins because he spent his days planting on the ground. He was cured while seated on a stone in prayer, asking for healing from God. King Louis XI refurbished the shrine of the saint and placed the Royal Coat of Arms.
King Louis XIII along with Anne, his wife, called upon the blessing of St. Fiachra to give them a child. Their son was an answered prayer who turned out to be King Louis XIV. On his father’s deathbed Louis XIII held the saint’s pendant. King Louis XIV and Louis XV suffered from a condition known as fistula. They were cured after fervent prayers to St. Fiachra. As a result, a lot of people were cured of this condition recognized in France as the St. Fiachra’s ailment or “La maladie de St Fiacre.”
Clyster
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, clyster, a medieval tool used to inject fluids in the body is administered through the rectal area to treat hemorrhoids. This instrument is a long tube with a biconcave tip made of metal. A type of fluid medicine is poured into it. The other rounded end punctured with small holes was injected into the anus. Fluids were poured through the instrument and pumped through the colon with a plunger which was eventually replaced by a bulb syringe. In medieval France, this form of treatment turned out to be quite a fad. In fact, King Louis XIV himself had a total of two thousand enema procedures in the course of his sovereignty. He even held court while he was administered with enema.
What are hemorrhoids?
These are swollen and throbbing veins in the rectal area. For some people, these just go away without treatment but in others they can cause chronic pain, itchiness, and bleeding.
Types of enlarged veins
•Internal. These are found within the lower rectum or in the anus. Typically, these do not cause discomfort and are painless.
•External. Just outside the aperture of the anus and are usually painful.
Prolapsed distended veins refer to those that have extended outside the anus and can be very painful. Pain may also be caused by a thrombosis or clot that developed in the vein. Occasionally, these veins need to be removed surgically.
Mode of treatment
If during medieval times they use clyster and enema, modern medicine has concocted drugs that help to alleviate the pain as the swollen enlarged veins subside. Moreover, there are lifestyle modifications that can reduce the discomfort at the same time prevent these from recurring.
Medications
•Corticosteroid ointments, creams, or pads can help soothe the pain and distension.
•Over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams with lidocaine can also diminish soreness.
•Stool softeners are used to lessen exertion when passing stool. These also prevent hardened stools.
•Laxatives prevent constipation and hard stools.
Surgical methods and other procedures
•Sclerotherapy ibis a procedure used for managing varicose veins. A solution is administered through the vein which results to the collapse of distended veins.
•Rubber band ligation uses a small rubber band. This is placed around the internal hemorrhoid which prevents blood from circulating in the area. Eventually, the distended veins fall off.
•Doppler-guided hemorrhoidal artery ligation uses minimal invasive surgical techniques to treat this condition.
•Surgery or hemorrhoidectomy is a last resort that physicians recommend when the veins can no longer be treated naturally, with medications, or other methods.
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