DIARRHOEA is, as a rule, an attempt of nature to discharge from the body discarded material which should be expelled. If there is much discarded material in the alimentary canal, it produces vomiting and diarrhoea. Discarded material includes, of course, unwanted material such as unsuitable or irritating food. The orthodox doctor stops diarrhoea by giving opium; this is a most undesirable procedure, because opium replaces the diarrhoea by severe constipation.
For ordinary diarrhoea, Kaolin (China clay) is the sovereign remedy. In every good chemists will be found China clay in some form or other. The most favoured are: Kaylene and Collo-Kaolin; a heaped teaspoonful in hot water, taken every hour or half hour will rapidly eliminate the more serious diarrhoeas of every kind, and it is an excellent remedy even for cholera.
There are in the homoeopathic Materia Medica a large number of medicines which have wonderful effects in diarrhoea. These should be studied with the help of the homoeopathic books. Among the most frequently indicated is Arsenic, which is, of course, a poison, but which is not dangerous at all if used in the 6x potency. Arsenic is an excellent remedy for diarrhoea, including diarrhoea containing blood.
In the case of diarrhoea and most other complaints of the stomach and abdomen, hot outer applications are of great value.