The only thing I could find, searching for TH Midgley: a single reference to being an inventor.
http://www.classicautoprints.com/history.html

"harles F. Kettering, (previously responsible for the electric starter) and his assistant T. H. Midgley develop tetraethyl leaded petrol to improve the quality of fuels available in the USA. This alone encourages the development of more powerful and efficient high-compression engines."

Sounds like a generic program of fruit (like prunes and such) and exrcise/massage (probably focusing on the gut). Most people nowadays know that exercise and high fiber fruits make you more regular. It was probably not common knowledge at the time, hence the term "Rational Method" and the reference to this condition as a disease.

Hey, check this out: what if TH Midgley is Thomas Midgley? Most of the references I found with Kettering and Midgley refer to Thomas Midgley, who invented something or other to do with cars. Cars are in DETROIT. And Detroit is in Michigan. And the title page says KALAMAZOO MICHIGAN! In that case, this little treatise was written by the 684th most important inventor in history*!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley
http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi684.htm

So this guy was a genius at mechanical engineering who though he could solve biological engineering problems on the side...?

*(assuming that the profiles on the UH.edu site are presented in order of importance.)

There's a bad picture on this site. Is this the same guy? http://www.chemcases.com/tel/tel-13.htm

Don't know about Midgley, but poop massage is not a myth. Our pediatrician taught my wife how to rub our little boy's back when he has trouble pooping. If he gets plugged up for a few days, momma rubs his lower back for 5 or 10 minutes and FLOOSH! The little dude dumps like a cement truck.

sounds like your son might suffer from a mental disorder, too...

Dungdaddy, you are right about the poop massage. My 17-year-old has an eating disorder and often gets backed up because of his overeating. We took him to a GI specialist, who taught us the poop massage, and now, whenever he's feeling constipated, I lie him on his stomach and give him the rub. He usually poops in about two minutes, sometimes even in his underwear, before he can get up and into the bathroom! It works great.

Feed the little bastard a bottle of Fleet's Phospho-Soda. That'll clean him out.

Sue, you better pray your son does not read this site. He will never talk to you again.

Exactly WHERE are you 'rubbing' your teenaged son that's making him...evacuate...so quickly? Do I even WANT to know?
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"...human shit has more of an almond, or perhaps a macadamia flavor to it. I hope you will all take my advice and really consider tasting your poop some time, as I have. It's really quite an experience." - Ratz

I can help with the date, the book is circa 1915 - 1925. Some of the things in the book do work, but everyone's body works a little different, so there is a fine line as to what works and what doesn't.
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Jammin' lo'flo's since 1977.

Some of these books are valuable as well.

I am only speculating 1915 to 1925, based on the script, and patterns used on the pages.

Like I said above, in using these treatments, results will vary, based on the individual.
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"-55F, a new record low? Nope, thermometer went bad. Looks like -50F still stands"

I wonder if he worked at the Kellogg Sanitarium? All this would make sense.
Producing waste since 1967