The 'Good Old Days' When Pretty Much Anything Could Be Cured By Using Dr Young's Rectal Dilators

Dr. Young's Ideal Rectal Dilators, marketed in the United States from the late 19th century through at least the 1940s, were part of the growing industry of patent and proprietary medicines and devices during that era. These dilators were sold in sets of four, resembling torpedoes, made of hard rubber initially, later transitioning to plastic. Ranging from 1⁄2 to 1 inch in diameter and 3 to 4 inches in length, they were detailed in a retrospective piece in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, which noted their similarity to contemporary rectal dilators.

In an editorial from 1893 in Medical News, it was observed that "Dr. Young," who also served as the editor of another journal, advocated for rectal dilation as a treatment for insanity. He asserted that "three-fourths of all the howling maniacs of the world" could be cured "in a few weeks' time" through orificial methods. Medical News posed the question,

Why, then, in the name of pity and kindness, do these men not apply the dilators each to himself or to each other? We very much fear all this imbecility may rest upon a semi-pathologic basis, and that Krafft-Ebing may have a new chapter to write concerning sodomic perversion in his work upon sexual psychopathy

The product claimed it corrected constipation, promoted more refreshing sleep, and could relieve foul breath, bad taste in the mouth, sallow skin, acne, anaemia, lassitude, mental hebetude, insomnia, anorexia, headaches, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, flatulence, indigestion, nervousness, irritability, cold extremities, and numerous other ailments. The instructions warned, “Do not neglect to use your Dilators ... It is advisable to use [them] occasionally as a precautionary measure. You need have no fear of using them too much.”

A 1905 advertisement by F. E. Young and Co. of Chicago promised that "The best results may be obtained by the use of Young's self-retaining rectal dilators", the use of which "accomplishes for the invalid just what nature does daily for the healthy individual". Doctors were advised that "If you will prescribe a set of these dilators in some of your obstinate cases of Chronic Constipation you will find them necessary in every case of this kind". The price of a set "to the profession" was $2.50 (equivalent to $80 in 2024).

Young admitted that some patients panicked at the sight of the devices

In 1940, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York confiscated a shipment of these devices for being misbranded. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's subsequent Drugs and Devices Court Case Notice of Judgment (entitled "U.S. v. 67 Sets of Dr. Young's Rectal Dilators and 83 Packages of Dr. Young's Piloment"), the product's labelling claimed it could address constipation, improve sleep quality, and alleviate a wide array of issues including bad breath, sallow skin, acne, anemia, fatigue, mental dullness, insomnia, lack of appetite, headaches, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, flatulence, indigestion, nervousness, irritability, cold extremities, and many other ailments. The accompanying instructions cautioned users not to neglect the use of the dilators and even suggested their occasional use as a preventive measure, reassuring that there was no risk of overuse.

The devices were held to be "dangerous to health when used with the frequency and duration prescribed, recommended or suggested in the labeling", and the shipment was ordered to be destroyed.

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