Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209, or
(800) 986-4636, or http://www.acatoday.com.
See also Appendix I; OSTEOPATHY.
chologogue A substance that increases the flow
of bile into the intestinal tract.
Chopra, Deepak A New England endocrinologist
originally from India, former chief of staff of Boston
Regional Medical Center, and founding president
of the American Association of Ayurvedic Medi-
cine. His highly acclaimed books include Quantum
Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine
(New York: Bantam Books, 1989); Creating Health;
Return of the Rishi; Perfect Health; Ageless Body, Timeless
Mind; Creating Affluence; The Seven Spiritual Laws of
Success; Unconditional Life, How to Know God: The
Soul’s Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries; Overcoming
Addictions; Spiritual Laws for Parenting; Grow Younger,
Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reverse Aging; The Return of
Merlin; and The Path to Love. A fellow of the Ameri-
can College of Physicians and a member of the
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists,
Chopra is considered one of the foremost U.S.
experts in mind-body medicine, particularly for
developing a blend of quantum physics and ancient
medicine practices and theories. He is currently
director of educational programs, CEO, and
founder of the Chopra Center for Well-Being,
established in 1995 in La Jolla, California, and now
at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California
(800-854-5000).
cicatrizant A substance or agent that encourages
scar tissue to form during the healing process.
coagulant A substance that promotes the forma-
tion of clots, such as blood clots.
Coles, Robert A professor of psychiatry and med-
ical humanities at Harvard Medical School,
research psychiatrist for the Harvard University
Health Services, and the author of more than 50
books, including The Spiritual Life of Children
(Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990); The Moral Intelli-
gence of Children(New York: Random House, 1997);
and The Mind’s Fate: Ways of Seeing Psychiatry and Psy-
choanalysis.Also the James Agee Professor of Social
Ethics at Harvard, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his
book Children of Crisisand other awards for his
books about children. Coles has also worked with
parents, undergraduates, teachers, community
leaders, and medical students and as a volunteer at
schools, hospital wards, and clinics.colonic irrigation The process of injecting
enough water (to which herbs or enzymes may be
added) through a tube into the colon to fill and
cleanse it, also known as an enema, rectal, or
clysis. In certain alternative and complementary
medicine practices, colonics are used to detoxify
the intestinal tract and treat a wide variety of dis-
orders, including hypertension, heart disease,
arthritis, depression, and infections. The method
evolved from the days before antibiotics had been
developed to fight infection, when emptying the
bowels was considered therapeutic for a number
of ailments. In ancient Greece and Egypt, as well
as in Ayurvedic medicine originating in India,
colonics were regarded as rejuvenating. During
the 1920s and 1930s, inducing bowel movements
became a fad treatment called “high colonics.”
One of the most prominent colonic therapists was
John Harvey Kellogg, who treated thousands of
patients with gastrointestinal disorders at the Kel-
logg Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. Kel-
logg later founded the Kellogg cereal company in
Battle Creek.
The basic concept of colonic irrigation as therapy
is to exacerbate the natural process of eliminating
toxins and digestive waste materials from the colon
and rectum. Colonic enthusiasts believe a buildup
of waste materials impedes normal elimination and
therefore impedes the immune system and blood-
stream. Irrigation may, however, damage the colon
by perforating it or injecting amounts of fluid great
enough to stretch the bowel out of normal propor-
tion and thus impair its ability to function. In addi-
tion, colonics may deplete the body of enzymes and
normal colonic flora that keep the intestines func-
tioning normally, particularly in their ability to
fight microbial invasion. Contaminated irrigation
equipment may also cause potentially life-threat-
ening infections such as amebic dysentery. Colonic
irrigation is not recommended for individuals who
have Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids,colonic irrigation 29