New-York daily tribune., 1843-11-21
HHYpRopATHy, OR WATER CURE.
BY CAPT. CLARIDGE.


AS to the means by which cures were effected,
there was in the first place, the sweating process.
The great desderatum with medical men was
the producing of perspiration, and checking 1t at
viii. In this they failed but it was not so IN
the water cure. In order to effect 1t, the bed IS
removed from the mattress; blanket is then
placed upon it, and the patient extended upon the
blanket, which is brought straight round the
neck and other parts of the body; then another
blanket is applied and brought tightly round the
body: and thus blanket is added to blanket TIL
seven or eight are put round the patient, and
feather bed over the whole. He dared say they
would think this almost insupportable; but 1t
was far from being so; il was indeed exceedingly
comfortable, and people generally when thus
placed went asleep. In most patients perspifa-
ton did not break out for three quarters ol an
hour; and when it appeared, cold water was
given him to drink through teapot, as II was
yery difficult for a person lying upon ns PACK TO
take il in any other way. ne shouio cilnh thfee
Or four turnblers Of cold water, as it helped TO
throw out the heat to q greater extent. When
persplration has broken out, it should be allowed
to continue shorter or longer according to the
strength of the patient. Some persons were
merely warmed by keeping them in the position
till perspration commenced others, who had
haps an hour. The tricklng of the perspiration
down the face was taken as proof that generally
speaking, it had got the proper length; but when
there was great deal of morbid matter to be
extracted from strong frame it was continued
longer. The covers were then taken off, and the
patient washed with cold water on the face and
chest and shins, and such other places as might
be exposed to the atmosphere, and blanket being
wrapped tightly round him, he went to the bath.
His first care should be to throw cold water over
thehead shoulders and chest to prevent congestion,
and then plunge into bath, where the period Of
remaining should be Judged of by the circum-
stances of the patient. He was requested to re-
main three minutes, but others took one plunge
only. It might be supposed there was danger in
mmersing the body in this excited state into cold
water; but that was not the case. When at
Graefenburgh, DR.. Wilson had called his atten.
ton to gentleman, "a years of age, who had
severe asthma of 80 years standing, and tre
mendous cough, and who was treated in this
way. The gentleman before submitting to the
treatment, asked DR.. Wilson if he did not think
there was danger in going into the bath in per-
spffaifel-e.e. sspDffaifale.e. His reply was that as medical
man, he certainly thought 50; but he asked if
Priessnitz had requested him to do it2 The old
gentleman answered in the affirmative. "Then,"
said he, 8" you ought to comply" The gentle
man followed the advice; and before he had been
ten weeks under the treatment he was perfectly
cured
As anocler illustration Of the effect of the
sweating process, he referred to a cure he per-
formed on Capt Charity, a friend of his own,
who was severely afflicted with gout. Captain
Charity was 30 ill as to be unable to walk, but
after being put through the sweating process in
the morning, he was able that afternoon to take
walk in the Regents Park, which was in the
neighborhood of his own residence. The Cap
tain was somewhat fond of society, and though
not accustomed to indulge in wine, was still oc-
casionally in the habit of taking it, when he was
sure to be attacked by gout; but the moment he
felt twinge, he now had recourse to the sweat
ing process, and was sure to find himself cured.
About the time he Captain Claridge) published
his book, MIR. Roche, M. P. for Knaresborough,
agreed to assist him in forming en- association for
promoting the hydropathic cure. Before the
meeting took place, however, for forming the 30
ciety, Mr. Roche wrote to him that he could not
come as he was laid up with the gout. The at
tacks of gout with him were very severe, and in
order to get rid of it he had taken not less than
ESQ worth of ofcolchicum. Immediately on learn
ing the condition in which he was he set off to
pay him visit, and found him in great pain,
with his foot on a stool, and proposed to put him
under the cold water treatment Mrs. Roche,
however, would not hear of it--any thing but
that. She liked his book verv much she said,
but cold water would not suit the case of NJ
Roche at ALL He believed she would have al
lowed him to be half roasted if it had been pro-
posed as cure, but cold water was entirely out
of the question. Mr.. Roche also told him that
he had consulted his surgeon, DR.. Pelatin, on the
subject, and his reply was, that if he resolved on
going into the cold water, he had better first
prepare place for himself in the church yard
Latterly, on hearing a favorable opinion of the
cold water cure from another gentleman, Mr.
Roche agreed TO place himself under The treat
ment. He was put under the sweating process :;
and being a man Of strong constitution, was
kept in the perspiring state for three hours till
perspiration went down through the mattress TO
the floor. He had felt most acute pain before he
underwent the treatment, and his foot was large
and swelled; but now, to his great astonishment,
he found that the pain was entirely gone. He
was next subjected for q brief space to the show
er-bath, and afterward washed in the cold water
bath and we'll rubbed He then dressed and
walked out, and met his medical attendant, who
he Captain Claridgel believed would rather have
seen the ghost of one of his foreathers than such
sight. He said, "Well, you have escaped for
once, but man may go to the well once too
often" The DR.. then began to tell him about
people with gout putting their feet in cold water,
when the gout went to the chest, seized upon
their vitals, and they died. True" said Mr.
Roche, but that is not the water cure: YOU
might hang me by the heels, with my head in
bucket of water, and then, would soon
be dead too." Uaughter.] Next morning, af
ter having had an application of wet cloths to
the affected parts, strange to say Mr. Roche
walked to the railway with the smallest pair OF
boots he had. This treatment applied to many
complaints over which drugs had no control, such