Hydriatic treatment of Scarlet Fever in its Different FormsMunde, Charles
Science
Hydriatic treatment of Scarlet Fever in its Different Forms
Munde, Charles
Hydrotherapy; Scarlatina
Before concluding my article, I shall attempt to remove a few objections
and obstacles, which are usually raised against the practice of the
hydriatic system in families.
123. WANT OF WATER.
One of the obstacles is the _want of a sufficient quantity of water_ in
some houses, and the difficulty of procuring it.
This obstacle is easily removed.
If you cannot procure water enough for a half-bath--for there cannot be
a difficulty in procuring a pailful for wetting the sheet--give your
patient a _dripping sheet_ instead, which, in most cases, will do as
well; or, should there be a want of a wash-tub to give it in, a _rubbing
sheet_ may supply the bath.
124. DRIPPING SHEET, SUBSTITUTE FOR THE HALF-BATH.
To apply the _dripping sheet_, a tin bathing hat or a large wash-tub is
placed near the patient's bed, and a pail of water on the brim of the
hat, or close by the tub. Dip a linen sheet into it, and leave it there
till you wish to take the patient out of his pack, but dispose it so
that you can easily find the two corresponding corners. As soon as the
patient steps into the hat or tub, seize the sheet by these corners and
throw it over his head and body from behind, and rub him all over, head
and all, whilst somebody else is supporting him, or whilst he is
supporting himself by taking hold of one of the bed-posts. When the
sheet becomes warm, empty part of your pail over the patient's head, by
which means the water in the sheet is renewed, and rub again. Then
repeat the same operation, and when all your water is gone, before the
body of the patient is sufficiently cool, take water from the hat or tub
and use it for the same purpose, till he is quite cooled down. Then dry
him with another sheet, or a towel, and put him to bed again, if
necessary.
125. RUBBING SHEET, SUBSTITUTE FOR THE HALF-BATH.
It cannot be difficult to procure a wash-tub. Should you be so situated,
however, as not to be able to procure even this, you will be compelled
to make shift with a _rubbing sheet_. For that purpose, a sheet and a
pail of water are all you need. The sheet is wetted in the pail and
slightly wrung out. The patient steps on a piece of oil-cloth or carpet,
and you throw your wet-sheet over him and rub, as before indicated. When
the sheet is warm, you dip it in the pail again, and repeat the process,
and thus you go on, till the patient is sufficiently cooled.
If you can have two pails of water, it will be better than one, as the
water becomes warm after having changed the sheet a couple of times.
126. WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY!
I have been frequently compelled to resort to these milder applications,
when there were no bathing utensils in families or boarding-houses, or
no servants to carry the water for a bath; and they have always
answered very well. In cases where a sitz-bath or a half-bath is
indispensable, to save the life of a patient, you will find the means of
procuring bathing utensils and the necessary quantity of water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account