Every Man His Own Doctor / The Cold Water, Tepid Water, and Friction-Cure, as Applicable to Every Disease to Which the Human Frame Is Subject, and Also to the Cure of Disease in Horses and Cattle

by R. T. Claridge

Had rheumatism continued, rubbing-sheets must have been resorted to again in the afternoon, and the sweating resumed the next day.

Rheumatic Fever.—For a slight attack of rheumatic fever, three rubbing-sheets three times a-day were found sufficient.

Rheumatic Gout.—A gentleman named Heymann, about 34 years of age, at the fire at Hamburg was exposed to the wet from the engines for several days and nights. The result was, a violent attack of rheumatic gout; first in the knees and feet, then neck and arms; afterward in hip and both breasts, which confined him to bed a whole year, from April 1843 to April 1844. During this time he took large quantities of medicine, and used steam and sulphur baths: about seventy of the former, and near a hundred of the latter. Also mud and sulphur baths, which enabled him to walk for about a month, when he was again confined to bed. Gout having attacked the breast, both his medical attendants declared they could do no more. 1st May, 1844, he was conveyed to Gräfenberg, so crippled that he could not dress himself. He began the treatment as follows:—

Morning, packing-sheet and tepid bath; noon, three rubbing-sheets, at intervals of five minutes, with open windows; afternoon, packing-sheet one hour, and tepid bath; bandage round the body, and from ankles to knees during the night.

Pain increasing, parts affected were rubbed with wet hands both day and night until they became hot. Body entirely bandaged by night. Bandage changed three or four times as pain resulted from the bandages being dry.

At the expiration of three months, patient enabled to walk out. Treatment changed.

Morning, packing-sheet and tepid bath; noon, one rubbing-sheet, followed by sitz-bath for quarter of an hour; douche before and after breakfast for three minutes; then morning and evening packing-sheet and bath; tepid for two minutes; then cold one minute and back to tepid bath for two minutes, instead of an entire tepid bath.

Two months’ continuation of this treatment brought out an eruption around the body, and on the calves of the legs; also a strong fever which lasted nine days, which was succeeded by boils.

Then three packing-sheet a-day were applied, and tepid, cold, and tepid baths; continually changing from one to another for an hour and a half. Douche and rubbing-sheet stopped during the fever.

The eruption continued for three months, discharging whitish brown matter. During all this time the last treatment was persevered in.