LVII.—Treatment of Ladies.
Pain at the Chest, Dry Cough, Weak Digestion, Pain and Pressure at the Nape of the Neck, Cold Feet, Great Emaciation and Suppression of Catemenia for three months, Skin dry and hard, Unable to Walk.—A lady, 38 years of age, for the above symptoms, was treated as follows:—
Morning, packing-sheet and tepid-bath; noon, rubbing-sheet; afternoon, as in the morning.
Bandages on chest and abdomen day and night.
Ten glasses of water drank daily.
In ten days able to walk a little, cough eased, better spirits.
In a month, skin softer; and shortly after, a cold plunge-bath was ordered instead of tepid.
Accouchement.—Experience has demonstrated the utility of cold ablutions, sitz-baths, simple diet, and exercise in the air, to females enceinte; water should be substituted for all stimulants. Madame Priessnitz, for her easy and prompt accouchements, is indebted to cold water and sitz-baths, which she took daily for six weeks previous.
The following statement to me in writing, by an American gentleman, shews the value that ought to be set on hydropathy by ladies.
“From 1837 to 1844 inclusive, Mrs. —— was, to all appearance, very healthy, but had an abortive accouchement every year, sometimes twice a year. After the second accident of this nature, she took advice; when, on one occasion, she was subjected to depletion; another, she was advised to pass her time entirely in a recumbent position; she had the best advice that could be procured in Boston, Florence, and Liverpool. These mishaps caused her many distressing and alarming symptoms. She now went to a hydropathic establishment for a few weeks, and derived great benefit from the treatment; this determined her on going to Gräfenberg, when Priessnitz assured her, if confined there, no doubt need be entertained of a favourable result, or the life of the infant. In April, 1845, she arrived at Gräfenberg; after six weeks she became unwell, and continued so for some time; she, however, persevered in the full treatment until April, 1846, when she gave birth to a male child weighing twelve pounds, six ounces.