The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-08-31
USEFUL IMPORTATION.
S1appiRlg as a Cure for
Dyspepsia

Some years ago q physician in New
York city published a small book, i'll
which he gave well-written certificates
of marvellous cures OF dyspepsia. Patients
began to flock to him. Their introduce
ton to his treatment was very queer.
He took the patientin into his consultation
office, examined his case, and il it was
one he could cure, he announced his fee
as five hundred dollars, to be paid i'll
advance. If the patients confidence was
strong enough the money was paid, and
then the doctor took him through ahall,
up a flight of stairs, through ANOTHER
hall, then thr0ugha room, down a night
of stairs, up a flight, down a flight, then
to the right, then to the left, and at last
they arrived in a small room without
windows, artificially lighted, and in that
room the patient was required to put bis
name to a solemn vow that he would
never reveal the mode of treatment.
This being all finished, the patient was
intrOducedtO the treatment. 1t consisted
in slapping the stomach and bowels.
Besides this, the patient was required to
live temperately, and much in the open
air. On rising in the morning he was
required to spend from five to ten min
utes In striking his own abdomen with
the flats of his hands. Then he went
out for a, morning walk after having
drank a tumbler or two OF cold water.
At II o'colck in the forenoon he spent a
quarter OF an hour or more in sLapplng
the bowels with his Stands. Thenhe laid
down to rest. He dined temporarily at
2 o'clock, and spent the afternoon IN
sauntering about. At 7 o'clock in the
evening he repeated the percussion, and
went to bed at 8 o'clock. A majority of
the cases Of dyspepsia that sought relief
at this establishment had used all the
other means except the slapping; that is
to say, they had lived on plain food and
much in the open air. 1t was the slap
ping, the pounding with the fists, knead-
ing with the fists, sometimes with the
fists of an attendant, that cured these
people, for cured they certainly were.
Marvellous cures were effected at this
establishment. After the death Of the
doctor some of the patients felt them
selves absOlved from the obligation, and
n of them described the treatment to
me. In every case of indigestion, no
matter what may be its character, slap
ping the stomach or bowels with thefiats
of the handsO on rising in the morning,
four hours after breakfast, and IN the
evening on going to bed, Is excellent
treatment. | cannot conceive OF a case
or chronic indigestion WHICH, SuCH iHdIt-
ipuIation would not relieve. II the pa
ticnt be so weak that he cannot perform
these sIappings OF kneadings upon his
own person, the hand of 4 discreet assist
ant should be employed. 1t is marvel
GUS how the body, the stomach for ex-
ample, which, w~henthese manipulatiOns
are first practiced, may be SO tender that
the slightest, touch can hardly be borne
it is marvellous how in two or three
weeks a blow almost as hard as the hand
can give is borne without suffering. If
you have a pain in the side or across the
chest, percussion will relieve it almost
Immediately. But constipation, dyspep-
STA, torpidity OF liver and other atfec-
tons of the abdominal viscera are re-
lieved more surely and completely than
any other class of affections by percus-
sion, kneading, etc. Such treatment
comes under the head of counter-irrita-
ton. A new circulation is established
in the parts near the point of suffering
and congestion. Besides this, especially
in abdominal troubles, the manipulations
appeal directly to the c~ontractility of
the weak and relaxed vessels in the af-
fected part.-[Dio Lewis.