The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-04
OBESITY AND HAPPINESS.
ELECTRIoITT AN AShNr TO MAKE 'EM
LEAN AND JOi For.


| Seem 60 he Played Out-TreAtment Tint
| Attacks the Nervous System First OF All.
The study Of fat and It's relations to
important features Of the course at medical
colleges II the present state Of public interest
In the subject continues. THE Sun has rarely
touched upon a subect that seems to have APP
pealed to the popular heart so universally rs
has this question OF fat and how to get rid OF It.
Facts that It printed some time ago and again
recently relative to tho SchweninRer system
have aroused an animated discussion among
the doctors and the fat and has brought to
notice the fact that tho treatment OF obesity IL
becoming an important feature OF ordinary
medical practice nowadays. The SchweninRer
system has not the field entirely to itselr in this
specially. although the general principles
upon which that system is based seem to bV
accepted now as the correct basis TOR all 10
treatment. All tho obesity specialists. outside
OF those In athletic clubs and training institus
lions, seem to have agreed in discarding the
old system OF starvation and violent exercise
in reducing flesh. and treat fat as disease.
Schweninger himself did not invent q new
system. He simply made the subject specials
ty. and awaited himself OF all the information
he could obtain from medical experts who had
written or taught upon 1t. His methods OF
system. through the notoriety brought to them
and him by his success In reducing Bismarok's
flesh to reasonable and comfortable limits.
Practitioners OF what is called the Schwens
niger system In this country modify his
methods OF treatment to suit their own ideas
Of the necessities of the different surround.
ings apd habits OF life Of the people whom they
treat, but they stick to the SchweninRer name
because It is 80 we'll known to the public.
DR.. Fremont Swain, who came to this city
from Indianapolis some time ago. and has
made the treatment OF the obese specially.
has cut loose radically from the old lines. in-
Producing. among other things. electricity as Q
feature OF his system. Talking to a Sun re-
porter. he said:
Fat isn't exactly a disease ITSELF but It 10
the evidence OF diseased state OF some pors
tlon Of the body. The diseased state may ex-
list without fatness 1t is Just 1t is with colds.
person takes cold because some portion Of
his physical system is diseased. A man in per-
feet health can't catch cold. within reasonable
limits. Of course. A person in perfect health
can't DO fat. The cold isn't tho disease, but
only an effect OF it Curing the cold Won't
make person we'll again the person will take
another cold the next time he is exposed to It.
Merely removing the fat from person won's
cure the fat disease, and the fat itself will como
back again the first time there 10 any induces
ment offered 1t.
The thing to be done with fat as with cold,
Is to strengthen and purify the general system.
The SchweninRer system. am told, works al
most entirely upon the kidneys. I don't sea
why We should limit ourselves in that way.
don't SEQ why any one organ should be called
upon to remedy the evil caused by general
degeneration of the physical system. Fat is a
deterioration Of the tissues OF the body. The
No Of thn
irmness, the cells become softened and swol-
len with fatty and watery substance. the flesh
is 6abby. and the whole syetem weak
ems. In an advanced stage the flesh is
sponge like. absorbing water constantly, aud
the tendency Is to a dropsical state and death.
The more fat the less vitality. Fat hampers
not only the muscles, but the wind. fat man
gets dull and stupid his brain becomes sogRy:
he doesn't catch an idea quickly: what ideas
he has he sticks to obstinately. In the adj.
vanced stages the victim OF fat may develop an
excessive constituencies and be easily irritated.
although his general mental and physical
state is one OF extreme torpidity.
" 1t can be mathematically demonstrated
that a fat man thinks more slowly than man
in q normal state. There is an apparatus for
determining the exact rapidity with which II
mans nerves convey intelligence to his brain
and back to the muscles. A Turkish bath will
increase the rapidity OF a mans thought Is per
cent. but the improvement Is only temporary.
Permanently relieving u man OF the surplus
watery element In his tissues makes u similar
improvement permanently. One OF the best
known athletic trainers in New York told mo
the other day that in training men for sprint
races he always dried them out for day or
two before the contest so that their nerves
would be tenser and they would be able to get
away quicker.
My idea is that the nervous system is the
first thing to look after in treating for reduce
ton OF fat. OF course, each indlyidual case
help one would hurt another. An oxamina.
ton will usually indicate Just what organs ara
out Of order, and the treatment must CORE
nerves themselves may be toned up independ-
entity Of specific treatment OF the organs
com paratiyeiy new method with an apparatus
that have 70 get made to order; l. isn't man
siectq1 is s applied % 'S palms aSs Eands.
In which are held round metal handles.
Often the palms are not even wei. The
small Instead. have these thin strlIs OF
braas. about nine inches long and from one TO
three wide. curved little 30 N, 10. III me body.
brasB pin attached 10 the wire from the bat
terry and thrust into this little socket in tho
back Of the brass sheet forms the congestion.
the same way This narrower strip OF sheet
brass. enclose b'th strips IN u little bag1l
upon some portion II tie body. II there IL
reason 70 suppose that the stomach or the
kidneys or any other sDeciAl organ 10 out u
order the brass piece can Ds put a. nearly
over the discussed organ n pOHslbis But ihat
snt shssD tlAl. Tic tang IL 10 get gbsFO
here will be- a. elOsg eJnBsctIOn brtwsoD the
bTAss plate Hud the skin hrB the narrow strip
EOeb lat against The spinal column Rhd the
sUTrsbt il turned on. ~ tLlh way Y0u bRgs
suTTOBt pAbsluR through tls body rom the
IsTls centre ~ tLf BDitls g. tho Gnsctsd orRsnO
% their nslEbb .TIDgd 40 lts action must
10 much more certain thHu @lin fhe cnrAnf
b applied only D. tho LApds Bosldss thai q
nUeb bsAsIsT current IBUI bs used with anck
AZ SppATatus thBn WITH one where tbs DOlDf n
contact - smaller. a rUFS3t thgt could Rct
b0 bOfns n IhefIlsd JCfD HfpAu epgfaos n
,eHfnsI islt nLpn tAksB from q broad tdRt2
lSssldas tho elsftTt1liY 70 togs 10 tke nsTSaa
'Bd mgeIsiDS 70 IslnsdI ofgAnlT Troubles, il
lpDdSikle s4rfciee aud q fnAsi lAalsio
lAfs ~ the diet doBt wait b tlsileDt foeE,
'fnihs 90 BsaT ~ ths fAi Dgi sllnljlY Insf 81
'ssfg one ought ~ easfeiss Ia of1nf ~ kssD
M tlis tDbs u tlls 0F6lsf.. 40 na5K afi5ill1
sfltllg ehe = liitls Ffey.AF yis ~ lkh
OVJss tlsl sS5lss esssfq az " tEs iSsson.
loot epsglnisll tg1ijbh snytbllS bni a 4