Wednesday.—Slept well and could turn with ease in bed; three rubbing-sheets and friction thrice during the day with wet hands.
Drank fourteen tumblers of water daily, and wore a bandage night and day.
Thursday.—Perfectly well. By the means here described, patient’s bowels were kept in order; his tongue always clean. Had his treatment failed, the sweating process must have been resorted to.
XXXVI.—Tic-Doloureux.
This is another of those complaints that baffle medical skill, and upon which medical men are at issue as to the cause; some alleging it to be a derangement of the nervous system, others think it is in the humours of the body, which contain an acrimony irritating to the nerves.
The result of my observation is, that if under the Water cure, it is not cured in three months, it is extremely doubtful if it will succumb to that treatment. Dr. Munde doubted if purely nervous Tic-doloureux was curable by any process; but speaks more positively as to that which arises from acrimonious humour. He says, “I speak with a perfect knowledge of this disease, having suffered for three years, and having made observations upon several others who suffered severely from this complaint. Eight months’ treatment cured me after trying all other remedies in vain.”
I knew a patient who had laboured under Tic in his head for fourteen or fifteen years, perfectly cured in three months. His treatment was the same as for Rheumatism.
Another patient put a bandage to her face at night, whilst under a paroxysm of Tic; this increased the pain, the reason of which was, her not having prepared the system first. Next day she underwent the sweating process, and could then wear the bandage with great advantage.
A person, whom I knew, suffering from Tic in his legs, made no progress because of the injudicious use of the Douche. The Douche was abandoned, and the packing-sheet and tepid bath twice a day substituted with great advantage.