Every Man His Own Doctor: The Cold Water, Tepid Water, and Friction-Cure, as Applicable to Every Disease to Which the Human Frame Is Subject, and Also to the Cure of Disease in Horses and CattleClaridge, R. T. (Richard Tappin)
Science
Every Man His Own Doctor: The Cold Water, Tepid Water, and Friction-Cure, as Applicable to Every Disease to Which the Human Frame Is Subject, and Also to the Cure of Disease in Horses and Cattle
Claridge, R. T. (Richard Tappin)
Hydrotherapy; Veterinary medicine
_Lumbago or Rick in the Back._--A young man woke early in the morning
with a most excruciating pain in his loins. He could not determine
whether it was simply Lumbago, or a Rick in the back, brought on from
playing at skittles or chopping wood the day before.
Priessnitz had him turned on his stomach, his back rubbed for an hour
with wet hands, and then covered with a bandage.
The Rubbing was to be repeated every four hours, and the bandage changed
every two hours.
The patient was to remain lying on his stomach the whole day and night
if not cured. The reason for this must be evident to those who reflect
upon it. Cured the same day.
Violent attack of Lumbago, supposed to have been brought on by using the
dumb-bells; the party being unaccustomed to their use.
Patient had rubbing with wet hands, and wearing a bandage for two days,
when he could hardly rise from a chair; then he commenced the following
treatment:--
Saturday.--Morning, packing-sheet for an hour, followed by three
rubbing-sheets; noon, two rubbing-sheets and an Enema; night, a
rubbing-sheet. This was not renewed at night, as patient's extremities
were cold and prevented his sleeping.
Sunday.--Four rubbing-sheets; after this operation, the improvement was
almost miraculous. Patient took a long walk.
Monday.--Treatment as yesterday; could turn in bed with less difficulty.
Tuesday.--Packing-sheet forty minutes, preceded by a tepid-bath sixteen
minutes, with great friction; noon, four rubbing-sheets; evening, loins
rubbed with wet hands for half-an-hour.
Wednesday.--Slept well and could turn with ease in bed; three
rubbing-sheets and friction thrice during the day with wet hands.
Drank fourteen tumblers of water daily, and wore a bandage night and
day.
Thursday.--Perfectly well. By the means here described, patient's bowels
were kept in order; his tongue always clean. Had his treatment failed,
the sweating process must have been resorted to.
XXXVI.--TIC-DOLOUREUX.
This is another of those complaints that baffle medical skill, and upon
which medical men are at issue as to the cause; some alleging it to be a
derangement of the nervous system, others think it is in the humours of
the body, which contain an acrimony irritating to the nerves.
The result of my observation is, that if under the Water cure, it is not
cured in three months, it is extremely doubtful if it will succumb to
that treatment. Dr. Munde doubted if purely nervous Tic-doloureux was
curable by any process; but speaks more positively as to that which
arises from acrimonious humour. He says, "I speak with a perfect
knowledge of this disease, having suffered for three years, and having
made observations upon several others who suffered severely from this
complaint. Eight months' treatment cured me after trying all other
remedies in vain."
I knew a patient who had laboured under Tic in his head for fourteen or
fifteen years, perfectly cured in three months. His treatment was the
same as for Rheumatism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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