You will soon begin to see the effects of your attendance by the improvement in your patient. When the patient “looks for you,” is impatient for your visit and wearies for the next, it is not a bad sign; it indicates your influence and presence to be refreshing and restorative in character.
Good doctors and nurses have the same characteristics.
If your presence or influence is in any way disagreeable to your patient, and upon the third or fourth visit you are satisfied of this, give up the treatment. You can do no good, although another may. But do not give up a case simply because favorable results are tardy in making their appearance.
Where your influence is not disagreeable, it is your duty to persevere and hope for the best. You cannot do harm, and you may do great good.
When there is nervousness and great debility, operate from the head—back head—downward, long passes at first, and then short passes locally. If the action of the heart is weak, or palpitation is characteristic, breathe in upon it at the termination of each treatment.
You will be surprised at the warmth and generous feeling transferred throughout your patient’s organism in consequence.
You can subdue the most violent coughing fit by steady and gently breathing upon the spine, just between the shoulder blades of your patient—child or adult.
So long as the clothing, under or upper, is not made of silk, the breathing will be effectual.
The lungs should be fully expanded, the mouth placed close to the part, as near as the clothing will admit, and a strong, steady stream of breath thrown in upon the place. The moment the mouth is removed, the open hand should be placed over the place while filling the lungs to repeat the operation, which may be done several times.
In rheumatic and neuralgic derangements and ailments of that class, and in cuttings, bruises, and burns, the treatment is often purely local—the passes following the course of the nerves of sensation.