Historical & Non-mainstream Medical Use
Laxatives, then called physicks or purgatives, were used extensively in pre-modern medicine to treat a wide range of conditions for which they are now generally regarded as ineffective in modern evidence-based medicine. Similarly, laxatives (often termed colon cleanses), continue to be promoted by practitioners of complimentary medicine for a range of conditions, including conditions which are not medically recognized, e.g. mucoid plaque.
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