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

In a case of Gout treated by an inexperienced person—where fears were entertained that congestion had taken place and castor oil was resorted to—he advised the same bath and friction, until it was removed.

A third case, where after being some time under the treatment a practitioner was embarrassed by his patient having fixed pain in his bowels, Priessnitz said, the bath applied with vigour for a considerable time would have been sure of removing it.

If a patient is ever lost in these cases, it is through the want of knowledge and the timidity of the practitioner.

XL.—Inflammations.

Inflammation of the Lungs.—This complaint originates in some obstruction, and is occasioned by an effort of nature to remove it. By bleeding the symptoms are reduced, but the cause remains, and consequently it frequently happens that under Hydropathic treatment inflammation returns, which then, by producing irritation on the surface, is extracted.

Mr. Priessnitz’ married daughter, this year, returned to Gräfenberg, with her husband, to be cured of an epidemic which raged in Hungary. The husband was cured. The lady, with an eruption, went for two days into the country; on return the eruption had nearly subsided; it had gone to the lungs and inflammation resulted. She was put into tepid and cold baths thirty or forty times during the day. These positive means put an end to the inflammation in one day, and the next she was about as usual, quite well.

This apparently dangerous complaint, without any apparent cause, when taken quite in its infancy, is generally cured by the following simple means.

Place a cold packing-sheet several times doubled over the shoulders, chest, and back of the patient, whilst he takes a cold sitz-bath, for from half an hour to an hour, during the time use great friction to the feet and legs with hands dipped in water. All medical reasoning will be to the effect that this treatment must cause congestion to the lungs; but every day’s practice at Gräfenberg proves the contrary.

Between the application of the above treatment, use a rubbing sheet.

If the head is affected, let the patient lay quiet in bed, with his head in a basin once or twice a day, from fifteen to thirty minutes, or much longer if necessary each time.