The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-02-04
]. SIMPLE HOME MASSAGE.

Emcaoious Treatment That Requires Lii.
), tie or No Science to Achieve.
A physician of high standing says
that he thinks massage will be used
far more in the near future than it is at
present, and he instructs the families
under his charge in the art of massag-
ing each other. When practicable he
advises everyone who wants the mas
sage to first be massaged by some good
operator, and thus learn just how it
feels, but he gives instructions that
alone fit one to do this work more intel
ligently than it is performed by many
who pretend and only pretend to know
the business.
b A general treatment should begin
with the feet, the subject lying down;
each foot should be taken and rubbed
and squeezed. all the time rubbing and
squeezing up, just as if you were try
ing to send the blood out of it toward
the heart; all points throughout the
body should he manipulated between
the palms of the hands; the legs must be
gently grasped and the muscles knead.
ed, a gentle kneading of the abdomen
and stomach follows; kneading of the
stomach is one of the most successful
ways of relieving indigestion, but it is
often done too roughly; it is good gen.
eral rule that when massage is agree.
able it is also beneficial, and when dis
agreeable it is injurious. Strength and
gentleness must go together in all
movements; if one particular method
of handling, particularly Of the stom.
ach and abdomen, is more agreeable
than another, that should prevail; the
hands and arms are treated just as the
feet and legs, all these movements uni
formly tending upward. After this the
patient turns on his face and the back is
kneaded along both sides of the spine
throughout it's length; the palm of the
hand is used fiat on back and abdomen;
the muscles of the limbs are grasped,
and after the back is treated the chest
is gently tapped and pressed with tho
ends Of the fingers.
Massage of the face cannot be COM
pletely taught without visible illustra-
ton, but a few useful movements can be
described, aud nothing further should
he attempted by the novice; with the
fingers the face from the corners of the
mouth should be softly rubbed up and
outward, this tending to prevent the
hard line that often settles from the
nose down as the cheeks tend to fall in
ward; the forehead can be rubbed with
the fingers from the center toward the
temples; for double chin one simple
movement IS invaluable. No one need
have a double chin, but the remedy
should be resorted to early, as in later
life the skin loses its elasticity, and it is
better to have double chin than a
bew-lap; rub under the chin with fin.
gers, beginning under one side and
drawing them out at the other, this
done with first one hand and then the
| other makes many strokes minute
possible, and the flesh under such treat
ment will soon begin visibly to lessen.
Much can also be done to reduce the
stomach and abdomen in the same way
a rotary movement being most effective
In all massage it is well to OIL the hand
| with cocoa oil. In cases of emaciatiou
as much oil as the skin of the patien!
will absorb should be rubbed in in thu
course of the usual movements. Oil
also tends to soothe nervous patients
and is often most grateful.
Massage is a mechanical and intlis
putable aid tc circulation, and as il
prostration and fatigue, the bloot
ceases to flow in proper quantitie:
through the arteries and is drawn of
to the veins lin death the blood leave:
the arteries altogether), the relief u
restoring the equilibrium of the circu
lation is instantaneous. The Japanes,
regard massage as an indispensable;
feature of life, just as they and we lool
upon bath as a necessity, and in thi.
they are right, and ahead of us.-Phila
delphia Times.
GOT HIS POTATOES.