Under this treatment, she became stout and plump. She walked until the day before her accouchement. When she felt the pains of labour coming on, Priessnitz caused her to sit up until the last moment, with a bandage round the abdomen, which, during labour, was changed every six minutes. The delivery was quick and easy.
Experience shews the utility of cold ablutions and exercise in the open air, to females who are in the family-way. To this add simple diet, and drinking plentifully of cold water. All stimulants should be avoided. A sitz-bath occasionally, and a bandage when sensations of pain are felt, will also be beneficial.
Sterility.—I could enumerate instances out of number, of parties (who had often deplored the absence of children) having families, after undergoing the cleansing and fortifying process of the Water-cure.
A gentleman, now an M.P., and his lady, were travelling for their health in Italy. A friend of mine at Venice, advised them to go to Gräfenberg. They did so, and after five months, the lady became enceinte. She wrote afterwards, that she had been married eleven years without having had a child; that since her trip to Gräfenberg she had three. Her meeting with that gentleman at Venice, she said she looked upon as an act of divine Providence.
Difficulty in passing Urine.—Wash the parts with cold water often; the body twice a-day; bandage the parts; drink plentifully of water and eat grapes.
LVIII.—Giddiness, Dizziness, etc.
Bandage (wet) round the head; lie in bed and change body-bandage often. Tepid sitz-bath 62° for forty minutes. If after a few hours, patient is not better, resort to packing-sheet and tepid bath; or three or four rubbing-sheets twice or thrice a-day, followed by tepid foot-baths.
LIX.—Head-Aches.
When they proceed from nervousness, rubbing-sheet for three or four minutes, well wetting the head first, followed by sitz-bath for fifteen minutes. When these fail, resort to packing-sheet and tepid bath. Head-bandage.
It frequently happens that well washing the head, rubbing the temples for a long time with wet hands, and wearing a wet bandage as a turban, the head-ache is relieved.