10 ms·

The rectum is an interesting place. You can apparently also absorb water there, if you are severely dehydrated and unable to hold anything down (eg seasick). Al

by clort 5y ago

The rectum is an interesting place. You can apparently also absorb water there, if you are severely dehydrated and unable to hold anything down (eg seasick). All you need, the saying goes, is a funnel and a friend.. full disclosure: I've not tried that!

ddxxdd 5y ago
I have heard, from some corny Discovery Channel survival show, that the bottom can filter out salt from the water. So if you're surrounded by ocean with no fresh water, the bottom is the place to go.
- stevula 5y ago
  Wouldn’t the water seek isotonic equilibrium by moving to the side of the membrane with higher salt concentration? I don’t think that would work in your body’s favor.
  - pestatije 5y ago
    Depends on which ocean you find yourself stranded. In the Mediterranean, don't even think about it. The Baltic sea, on the other hand, seems to be quite aenema-friendly. [Annual mean sea surface salinity for the World Ocean] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinity#/media/File:WOA09_sea-surf_SAL_AYool.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinity#/media/File:WOA09_sea...
    - doggodaddo78 5y ago
      7000 ppm for the N Baltic vs 35000 ppm for average sea water. The limit for safe drinking water is 1000 ppm. The salinity of blood is about 9000 ppm. Drinking it from either end isn't advisable because the osmotic gradient wouldn't transport water it in very fast. It would be safe-ish but not hydrating.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- doggodaddo78 5y ago
  Absolutely not. Osmotic gradient. This is another reason not to watch TV and spend more time reading trustworthy sources.
andy_ppp 5y ago
I’m sure a plastic water bottle and a few yoga poses will suffice, go for it!
- Clampower 5y ago
  Your anus is not actually just a hole you can just pour things into. It seals itself. A funnel is of the essence when trying to pour liquids into the rectal cavity.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
saberdancer 5y ago
Bear Grylls (I know) - showed that you can "drink" unsafe water by using funnel and a friend. Not sure if this is accurate, it's a show after all, but it doesn't seem too crazy.
jvm_ 5y ago
These people spent 37 days in a 9ft dinghy in the ocean. A ladder rung, plus the rain water mixed with turtle guts from the bottom of the boat saved their lives. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/22/shipwreck-lucette-sailing https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/22/shipwre...
- bob_theslob646 5y ago
  "What kept them going was grit, determination and turtle blood. "You have to knock it back quickly, otherwise it sets into blancmange," Douglas explains. Plus it's got an "aftertaste that makes you want to wretch". Their mother rubbed turtle oil on the salt-water boils, and tried to keep them all hydrated with makeshift enema tubes made from the rungs of a ladder. "It was her nursing background. She knew the water at the bottom of the dinghy was poisonous if taken orally because it was a mixture of rain water, blood and turtle offal. But if you take it rectally, the poison doesn't go through the digestive system." Unbelievable!
  - nobodyandproud 5y ago
    Ah, those nurses. Tangent time: Florence Nightingale was an early pioneer (maybe the first?) of data-driven medical policies. She grew up in a time when women hit a ceiling pretty quickly, despite being extremely competent and in her case mathematically gifted.
NelsonMinar 5y ago
Works for alcohol too; keyword "butt chug". Can result in alcohol poisoning if you dose too much.
- pantalaimon 5y ago
  Works for other drugs too, it's known as boofing.
  - pengaru 5y ago
    > Works for other drugs too, it's known as boofing. isn't that slang for anal sex
    - jjeaff 5y ago
      Nah, according to a current supreme court judge, to boof is simply to pass gas.
      - seg_lol 5y ago
        Minority ruling from a lower court.
  - johnisgood 5y ago
    Or "plugging" if we are talking about other drugs. > The insertion or other voluntary introduction of foreign matter into the anus or vaginal cavity for the sole purpose of recreational misuse (or use) of said item/substance. Similar to butt chugging, with the exception of using non-liquidous matter instead of alcoholic beverages.
diplodocusaur 5y ago
Indeed! Fecal transplants are fascinating in their results too.
klmadfejno 5y ago
We're pouring liquids into our butts right? What's the friend for? Can't one do that on their own?
- phone8675309 5y ago
  It's really easier with a friend, especially the reach-around part.
  - sillysaurusx 5y ago
    Your comment is hilarious. I had the same question. Thanks.
skynet-9000 5y ago
Sounds useful for Ebola patients. Dehydration is apparently the thing that kills you the fastest. However, it could be very hazardous to your (very loving) friend.
- tgsovlerkhgsel 5y ago
  That's what PPE is for.
mkoubaa 5y ago
Does this mean you can absorb electrolytes from swimming in the ocean?

by clort 5y ago

ddxxdd 5y ago

I have heard, from some corny Discovery Channel survival show, that the bottom can filter out salt from the water. So if you're surrounded by ocean with no fresh water, the bottom is the place to go.

stevula 5y ago
Wouldn’t the water seek isotonic equilibrium by moving to the side of the membrane with higher salt concentration? I don’t think that would work in your body’s favor.
- pestatije 5y ago
  Depends on which ocean you find yourself stranded. In the Mediterranean, don't even think about it. The Baltic sea, on the other hand, seems to be quite aenema-friendly. [Annual mean sea surface salinity for the World Ocean] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinity#/media/File:WOA09_sea-surf_SAL_AYool.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinity#/media/File:WOA09_sea...
  - doggodaddo78 5y ago
    7000 ppm for the N Baltic vs 35000 ppm for average sea water. The limit for safe drinking water is 1000 ppm. The salinity of blood is about 9000 ppm. Drinking it from either end isn't advisable because the osmotic gradient wouldn't transport water it in very fast. It would be safe-ish but not hydrating.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
doggodaddo78 5y ago
Absolutely not. Osmotic gradient. This is another reason not to watch TV and spend more time reading trustworthy sources.

andy_ppp 5y ago

I’m sure a plastic water bottle and a few yoga poses will suffice, go for it!

Clampower 5y ago
Your anus is not actually just a hole you can just pour things into. It seals itself. A funnel is of the essence when trying to pour liquids into the rectal cavity.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

saberdancer 5y ago

Bear Grylls (I know) - showed that you can "drink" unsafe water by using funnel and a friend. Not sure if this is accurate, it's a show after all, but it doesn't seem too crazy.

jvm_ 5y ago

These people spent 37 days in a 9ft dinghy in the ocean. A ladder rung, plus the rain water mixed with turtle guts from the bottom of the boat saved their lives. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/22/shipwreck-lucette-sailing https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/22/shipwre...

bob_theslob646 5y ago
"What kept them going was grit, determination and turtle blood. "You have to knock it back quickly, otherwise it sets into blancmange," Douglas explains. Plus it's got an "aftertaste that makes you want to wretch". Their mother rubbed turtle oil on the salt-water boils, and tried to keep them all hydrated with makeshift enema tubes made from the rungs of a ladder. "It was her nursing background. She knew the water at the bottom of the dinghy was poisonous if taken orally because it was a mixture of rain water, blood and turtle offal. But if you take it rectally, the poison doesn't go through the digestive system." Unbelievable!
- nobodyandproud 5y ago
  Ah, those nurses. Tangent time: Florence Nightingale was an early pioneer (maybe the first?) of data-driven medical policies. She grew up in a time when women hit a ceiling pretty quickly, despite being extremely competent and in her case mathematically gifted.

NelsonMinar 5y ago

Works for alcohol too; keyword "butt chug". Can result in alcohol poisoning if you dose too much.

pantalaimon 5y ago
Works for other drugs too, it's known as boofing.
- pengaru 5y ago
  > Works for other drugs too, it's known as boofing. isn't that slang for anal sex
  - jjeaff 5y ago
    Nah, according to a current supreme court judge, to boof is simply to pass gas.
    - seg_lol 5y ago
      Minority ruling from a lower court.
- johnisgood 5y ago
  Or "plugging" if we are talking about other drugs. > The insertion or other voluntary introduction of foreign matter into the anus or vaginal cavity for the sole purpose of recreational misuse (or use) of said item/substance. Similar to butt chugging, with the exception of using non-liquidous matter instead of alcoholic beverages.

diplodocusaur 5y ago

Indeed! Fecal transplants are fascinating in their results too.

klmadfejno 5y ago

We're pouring liquids into our butts right? What's the friend for? Can't one do that on their own?

phone8675309 5y ago
It's really easier with a friend, especially the reach-around part.
- sillysaurusx 5y ago
  Your comment is hilarious. I had the same question. Thanks.

skynet-9000 5y ago

Sounds useful for Ebola patients. Dehydration is apparently the thing that kills you the fastest. However, it could be very hazardous to your (very loving) friend.

tgsovlerkhgsel 5y ago
That's what PPE is for.

mkoubaa 5y ago

Does this mean you can absorb electrolytes from swimming in the ocean?