[A laxative jam]

A study on the effects of a laxative jam was done on a group of veterans hospitalized at Le Centre hospitalier de l'Université Laval, Sainte-Foy (Québec). The jam, made up of a mixture of dates and prunes, was tried as a form of treatment to see whether it would increase the frequency of bowel movements and decrease laxative use in long-term care elderly patients. Analysis of the treatment group revealed a significant increase in the frequency of bowel movements and a similar decrease in laxative use. No change was observed in the other patients. Although the addition of this jam amounted to a monthly expense of 167$, it has remained part of the diet on a PRN basis.