Examination of the Rectum.

A description of the examination of the rectum falls naturally into two parts: (I) Examination of the rectum itself; (II) Examination of the pelvis and, under certain conditions, of some abdominal organs through the wall of or from within the lumen of the rectum. The latter should always be made to include the former, and no examination of the rectum per se can be considered adequate unless it also includes the whole pelvis.