Quite naturally such a variety of “diseases” called forth many sorts of surgical operations for their removal, of which the following are the ones most in vogue: Clamp and cautery, ligature, crushing electrolysis, excision, submucous ligation, the Whitehead operation, the Earle operation, the American operation, etc. Forget them all, forget all of the senseless terms that are employed to describe a supposed variety of “disease” and all of the barbarous procedures for their banishment, and the banishment, alas! too frequently, of the wretched sufferer likewise. Study carefully the varieties of chronic inflammation and the character and extent of the exudation in each case. By so doing you will ascertain the nature of the many varied symptoms of proctitis, of which the following are the most common: Sacculated mucosa and integument, submucous and subtegumentary channels, reservoirs, pockets, fistula, pruritus ani, fissure- or ulcer-in-ano, constipation, diarrhea, etc. Proctitis may present a chronic, a subacute, or an acute stage, with an atrophic or hypertrophic condition, or a less marked structural change in the tissue. If proctitis were treated early in its inception, none of the above-mentioned symptoms would have occasion to develop. When mankind becomes properly enlightened on the subject of proctitis, due attention will be given to it long before so many annoying symptoms occur. Ano-rectal mucous sacs, formed by the serous exudation into the connective tissue and stasis of the blood, are the slightest symptoms of proctitis, and by far the most easily removed. Since we have found out what are the symptoms and what is the disease, it naturally follows that in treating a sacculated mucosa we should be governed by the character of the proctitis, whether it be in a chronic, subacute, or acute stage. If the inflammation be acute, no matter whether or not there is a general prolapse of the sacculated tissue, it may be well to delay the treatment for removal of one or more mucous sacs until we have in a degree overcome the acute inflammation by the use of a shallow sitz bath, Fig. 23, and by the use of a soothing ointment and liquid remedy, to meet the depurant requirements of the case. The removal of the chronic inflammation, in whatever state it may be found, should be a paramount feature of the treatment from the time a case comes under one’s care. The cure of the disease ought to be of more importance than the removal of a symptom or symptoms. Should there be bleeding from a mucous sac, or should there be prolapse of it, or both, immediate treatment will give relief at once, and the sufferer will think you have performed a miracle, especially if the annoyance has existed for many years.