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

If ague appeared, which it did sometimes, then rubbing-sheets, well wrung out were applied with great friction until the fit was over.

This patient was perfectly cured in three months.

Nervousness and slow Fever, and disposition to a Decline.—A lady was treated as follows:—

Morning, five packing-sheets and bath, 62°; noon, douche and sitz-bath; afternoon, rubbing-sheet and two sitz-baths.

At first, she was ordered to have a cold bath prepared by the bed-side at night, and when fever and sweating came on, to go into the bath, and repeat it if necessary. She had a bad cough at the time; her friends thought such a proceeding would end in her death; the patient, however, recovered from her fever and cough, and left much improved in health.

On awaking in the morning with distracting head-ache, parched tongue, and all the concomitants of fever, a lady was put into a packing-sheet; in twelve minutes, head-ache ceased. After remaining enveloped an hour or two, rubbing-sheets were applied, followed by a sitz-bath of twenty minutes: she drank water freely. This one application effected a cure.

A young lady had her foot and ankle much swollen from rheumatic gout. Second day, arose with head-ache and pain in all her limbs; and towards evening, had a slight fever. For this, she was put into a tepid bath 62°, and rubbed for forty minutes, when the arm-pits feeling no warmer than the other parts of her body, she was allowed to leave the bath. This application was sufficient.

Typhus Fever requires the same treatment as other fevers. The packing-sheet must be changed every ten or fifteen minutes: I have known it changed as much as fifty times a day. When the patient is weary of lying in the packing-sheet, he should be put into a tepid bath and well rubbed for a time; and then lie quiet, with a packing-sheet doubled several times from hips to arm-pits. Then packing-sheets should be resorted to again. If the head is attacked, apply the head-bath whilst lying in packing-sheet. Drink abundantly of water.

Packing sheets, tepid baths, and cold baths (the former often repeated), are also the treatment for brain fever. When a patient was in a state of delirium, Priessnitz ordered her into a cold bath for an hour.

Teething fever.—Tepid head-bath—water gradually made colder—applied to the back of the head for half an hour.