The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-05-25
Modern scientiflc MASSAGE.

a certain extent existed since the crea-
ton. Man had by instinct acquired the
art of manipulation long before nature
yielded her secrets in medicine. How
ever massage may rejuvenate those
who submit to it's influence, the wrin-
kles of time cannot be removed from
its own ancient visage. Amiot and
Daily speak of perfect system of
gymnastics among the Chinese three
thousand years before the Christian
era; not only did these people use gym
nastics to preserve health, but also had
a thorough knowledge of their thera-
peutical effects. 1t was used by the
priests of Egypt, the Hindoes and the
Persians; the Greeks also had their
pado tribes, some of whom acquired
great skill in the manipulation of the
human body. The new era of mechra-
no-therapy begins with the middle Of
this century. Prior to this time, be-
yond receiving slight attention from
few scattered physicians it was in the
hands of laymen, who We're unable
either to comprehend it's real signii-
canoe or to introduce it to the scientific
world. A beginning was made in
France in the fifties, it's value in the
treatment of chorea becoming more
generally recognized. Bonnet recon-
mended gymnastics and massage in the
treatment Of certain joint diseases.
The well known works of Daily and
Laisric appeared during this period.
The late Professor Charcot, Champion
Mere, Tripser, Rain, Norstrom and
other eminent French physicians of the
present time have also interested them
selves in scientific massage. But it is
to Teutonic people, especially the Ger
mans, that we owe the greatest
achievements in this as in many other
fields. A strong impulse was first CIV
en- by the famous DR.. Merger of Am
sterdam, who was already an active
masseur in the early sixties, and
through his German and Scandinavian
pupils has exercised a powerful influ-
ence upon the standing of massage in
the medical world. This hitherto so lit
tie needed mode of treatment was now
taken under the protection of certain of
the foremost representatives Of the
great German and Austrian clinics,
and was employed by practitioners,
whose names ennobled it. When Ian
genbeck and Billroth pointed out the
Importance of massage, Heuten, Es-
march, Barbien, Volkman, Won Mosur-
geil, Gussenbauer and others began to
employ it. Its effects were scientifical-
ly set forth by these and others, and
the conviction gained ground in Ger
many and Austria that massage was
as much entitled to a fair trial as other
methods of treatment. In the north,
where Ling had prepared a good foun-
dation Halliday and Berghman in Swe-
den, Evald Johnson in Denmark, Winge
and Kiar in Norway won extended re-
cognition for massage The result was
that massage became irrevocably fixed
as an integral part of the healing art in
all Germanic lands. In England seve-
raj distinguished physicians have ad-
vocated it's use. viz: Herbert Tibbits,
Professor Playfair, William Stutch
Dowse, and Dr. Murrell. Several first
class schools in connection with Eng
fish hospitals have been in successful
operation for many years. In America
the pioneers We're the elder Sayre, Gra-
ham, Benjamin Lee, Weir Mitchell and
Dr. Taylor. A greatdeal remains to be
done before mechano-therapy shall at
tain the same standing in America that
it now has in Europe; still everything
develops quickly in the new world, and
it will not be long before American
physicians will have appropriated, in
this as in other departments, all that
is Of value.
Massage is a term now generally ac-
copied by European and American
physicians to signify a group of proce-
dures which are best done with the
hands, such as friction, kneading, roll
| ing, pinching and percussion of the ex-
| ternal tissues Of the body in a variety
of ways, either with a curative pallia-
| tive or hygienic object in view.
It's application should in many in
| stances be combined with passive, re-
sistive or active movements. Nerve
| frictions and vibrations are also extern
sively used. Each of these manipula-
lions have different physiological eff
! fects, and are used according to the IN
dications of the case and the desired eff
| feet. There is as much difference be-
| tween modern scientific massage and
| the so-calIed massage as administered
! by the ordinary rubber as there is be-
| tween a work of art and daub. The
| difficulty is that the majority Of people
| do not know one from the other, and
most patients are satisfied as long as
| the rubber gives them a full hour,
works hard and gets little "dewy."
| Time work and the isolation OF individ-
ual muscles, or groups of muscles, are
| at a, discount while motor points are
unknown quantities. OF cotrse the re-
suits of the treatment are not the
| same, but people do not find that out
until the mischief is done, when they
are disappointed and disguised. This
| method of treatment suits our skeptical
age. It's results follow it's employment
| so Immediately, bring often not simply
visible to the eye, but recognizable to
| the touch, and even susceptible of
| measurement, that 1t must disarm the
most complete skeptic. Farther, this
| therapeutical system answers better
than any other to the morepurely me-
chanical theory of the physiological
processes of the human organism
which are to-day In vogue. All these
! Influences conspired to aid the rapid
| spread of massage, and it's recognition
| by the medical world finally assured its
success The physiological effects Of
massage are mechanical, thermal and
oIaotrioal Tn addition to these it