Another party felt somewhat below his usual standard of health and activity. For years there had been an accumulation of matter in his nose, from which at times there was a free discharge. Priessnitz said it was a sort of safety valve, and had better not be stopped: the patient derived great advantage from pursuing the following treatment for six weeks:—
In the morning, a packing-sheet for twenty minutes, then changed for another for fifteen minutes; this was followed, first by tepid, and afterwards by cold bath; at noon, a rubbing-sheet and sitz-bath for fifteen minutes; head-bath three minutes each side, making in all nine minutes; in the afternoon, rubbing-sheet, sitz and head-bath.
CIV.—Cancer, etc.
When taken in the commencement, this disease is generally curable; later, a cure admits of doubt.
Princess Esterhazy, who was so long in England, consulted all the leading medical men in Vienna for a cancer in the breast: they could afford her no relief. She went to Gräfenberg and was perfectly cured in seven months. Six years afterwards, one of the family informed me she still continued in perfect health.
A neighbour of Priessnitz had a cancer in his hip; he advised him not to allow of an operation, as it would grow again. The man disregarded this advice, it did grow again, and his life paid the forfeit. A general treatment is required for this complaint.
Our opinion that water, even without Priessnitz’s valuable modes of applying it, is the best remedy—is supported by Dr. Abernethy, who, in his book entitled “Surgical Observations”, mentions a case of a lady (page 200), who had gone up to town for the removal of a diseased breast, who was cured without amputation, the only local application being linen moistened with water. Dr. Abernethy applied water poultices also for glandular swellings, which had the effect of removing the swelling without suppuration—see pages 189 and 192. I know a French lady who cured herself of a hard swelling on the breast: she took a rubbing-sheet every morning, a sitz-bath at mid-day, drank ten tumblers of water daily, and wore a wet bandage, with a dry one over it, on the breast always, until the hardness was removed.
A case of White Swelling.—A letter from Dr. Gibbs to the Editor of the Water-cure Journal.
“My dear Sir, “March, 17th, 1848.
“I have heard even friends of the Water-cure express doubts of its efficacy in the treatment of white swelling. For the benefit of such unbelievers I transcribe the case at foot, from a letter which I received from the mother of the youthful patient.