The uses of water in health and disease

by John Harvey Kellogg

This is a valuable remedy in treating piles, prolapsus of the bowels or uterus, and constipation.

DROP BATH.

In applying this bath, a vessel with a small opening in the bottom is elevated to a considerable height, water placed in it being allowed to drop upon the part to be treated. The aperture in the vessel should be only sufficiently large to give egress to a single drop at a time. The bath may also be given by placing in an elevated vessel one end of a skein of cotton yarn, the other being allowed to fall over the edge of the vessel and hang below it. By capillary attraction the water will be drawn up into the yarn and will drop off at the lower end very slowly.

This is a very convenient way of applying water where its cooling effects are required for a considerable length of time, as in wounds, bruises, sprains, and similar cases. It will “keep down inflammation” in a wonderful manner. It is not commonly necessary that the water should be very cold, as evaporation will keep the part sufficiently cool in most cases.

ARM BATH.

This is simply holding the arm in water of proper temperature. It is extremely useful in such painful affections as felons, sprains, and nearly all injuries of the hand and arm. Ulcers and acute and chronic skin diseases of the hands and arm are usually benefited by this bath. If cold water is painful, its application should be preceded by that of hot water, or alternated with it. Cold hands should be frequently rubbed in cool water, and alternately immersed for a few minutes each in hot and cold water. In case of painful felons, the arm must be immersed to the elbow to relieve the pain, although the disease is only in the finger.

HEAD BATH.

The patient should lie upon his back, resting his head in a shallow basin of cool water. The attendant should bathe the forehead, face, and temples during the bath. The bath may be continued until the heat is removed or lessened.

The pouring head bath is often preferable to the preceding. The patient should lie upon a bed or sofa, face downward, allowing his head to extend outward over a tub or other wide vessel, while the water is poured upon the head from a little height, by an assistant. The water may be either hot or cold, according to existing conditions. Very cold water is not usually advisable, as its application soon becomes painful, and produces powerful reaction. It should be tepid or temperate. Some cases require very hot water for a few minutes, followed by a slight affusion of tepid water.

In hysteria, epilepsy, apoplexy, sun-stroke, acute mania, delirium tremens, and cerebral congestion from any cause, the head bath is a promptly efficacious remedy.