A——, forty-six years of age, suffered fifteen years from periodical attacks of gout, and had his last severe attack in his feet, hands, and elbows, accompanied by paralysis, which affected his voice.
Treatment.—Laid in packing-sheet until perspiration ensued (two or three hours); then tepid bath renewed by cold water being thrown over head and shoulders; noon, rubbing-sheet, followed by sitz-bath 62° for fifteen minutes; cold foot-bath fifteen minutes, and head-bath ten minutes; afternoon, morning treatment repeated.
Alternate days, sweating in blankets instead of the sheets; all other treatment the same as before.
This continued treatment was persevered in for ten weeks, when patient was prescribed sweating in the morning, and packing-sheet in the afternoon, followed by cold bath. Sitz and foot-baths as before; head-bath discontinued. Shortly after, sweating twice a day, with foot-baths, fifteen minutes in the middle of the day. Sitz-baths dispensed with. This treatment at the end of six weeks was again changed for perspiring only once a day, for three hours. Patient was at length ordered to discontinue the treatment altogether, and proceed to the sea-side for a month. Soon after his return again to Gräfenberg, he was able to walk fifteen miles at a time, as is seen by his own letter.
B——, fifty-six years of age, suffering from Gout upwards of seventeen years, generally incapacitated from following his occupation seven or eight months in a year. Feet and hands distorted.
Treatment.—Packing sheet and tepid-bath in morning and afternoon, and sitz and foot-bath, each fifteen minutes; at noon, bandages round the waist. After a week’s treatment, a fit of gout came on in foot and ankle, which was combated by packing-sheet and tepid bath before breakfast; tepid sitz-bath at noon, and the morning treatment repeated in the afternoon. After three days, a boil began to form under the left jaw; treatment continued, with the exception of patient’s going (after the packing-sheet), into tepid bath for two minutes, then into the cold bath for two minutes, and back to the tepid, from ten to fifteen minutes.
In eight days, gout returned with greater violence, when recourse was had to the packing-sheet, as before; with tepid baths from twenty minutes to an hour, besides following up other parts of the treatment. In seven or eight days the fit quite subsided. Some time after this he had a relapse, which patient stated to me, under the allopathic treatment, would have confined him to his room at least six months; this was treated as follows:—
Packing-sheet until warm, followed by tepid bath, ten minutes; then walked about the room for a quarter of an hour; then the bath again for a quarter of an hour, a respite of a few minutes, and the bath a third time.
Two hours after the above operation, a tepid sitting-bath 62°, for twenty minutes.