Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02

would any other muscular organ of the
body. He proceeded to treat it from the
standpoint of the relation of exercise to
growth. All bodily organs which are exer-
cised grow; any organ which is not exer
cised ceases its development. Prof Schott
determined to exercise the heart.
The Treatment.
THE treatment involved first a series a
preparatory baths in the waters of the nat
ural springs which exist in Nauhem. The
stimulating effect of these waters prepares
the sufferer for the exercise which follows.
The exercise involves every muscle in the
body. No apparatus is used. The patient is
told to make certain motions which bring
certain muscles into play, but when he tries
to do 1t an attendant catches him by the
arm or the leg, whichever part is to be
moved and tries to stop the movement. The
patient must do 1t in spite of the attendant.
the resistance causing him more exerion
than If he were left unobstructed. In conse-
quence the houses Of Nauhem seem at times
to be full of men and women wrestling with
one another. One man will be seen swinging
his hands over his head like a human wind
mill, while an attendant stands beside him
on chair, holding his wrists and trying TO
stop him. Another man will be found stand
ing on one leg and moving the other vo-
to his ankle and will not be shaken OF.
Still another. standing with his back to
the wall, seems bent on falling fiat on his
face in spite OF the attendant, who persist
emily props him up as he comes forward.
Others around about seem to be indulging in
sparrng matches, the attendants in every
case resisting the movements of their
charges. All of these people are under
treatment for heart disease.
I'm other parts of the place men, women
and children are being bathed, some OF them
in brine, others in water which Is hardly
brackish. The newcomer Is given a simple
bath in the water of the springs which has
been freed frcm carbonic acid and diluted
with fresh warm water. After few days
the fresh, warm water is left out and he gets
the spring water at normal temperature,
but with most OF the carbonic acid extracted
Next he is put into a blthtub which is
charged with the salts and carbonic just as
1t emerges from the earth. The fourth and
final stage OF the bathing seances calls for a
bath like the one just mentioned except that
the water is allowed to run in and out of
the tub constantly. None but a quite Wig
orous person can take this form of bath
without Ill effect. These baths are really the
first stage OF the exercise treatment and
they are given to diminish the frequency
and to increase the force of the pulse beat,
Drawing on Surplus Blood.
when the patient comes for treatment
il Is usually found that his heart Is cogged
and dated with blood The first thing
to do then, naturally, is draw this blood
as far away from the central organ as pos
sible. The heated bath Is the beginning of
the process of withdrawal. The capillaries
of the skin are relieved of their natural
store of blood and some of the er-supply
in the heart rushes out to supply the loss.
In the second stage OF the bathing the car
bonic gas numbs the skin, practically 1t
paralyzes the capillarles and increases the
rush of blood from the heart. In the third
form OF bath the chloride of calcium sets up
an irritation which makes the body appear
as II covered with nettle rash. II is the
advanced stage of the process by which the
heart is relieved OF oyerwork, 1t prepares
the patient for the exercise that follows.
Hundreds have been benefited by the
Nauheim treatment, but there are famous
cases which stand out prominently from
the rest. These cases naturally are the
constant subject of talk by the newcomers
who go to take the baths There was the
broken down Englishman, so years old who
was carried into Nauheim. helpless from
heart disease, gout, dyspepsia and enlarged
liver He could not walk step. They. cut
down his food supply at once, allowing him
about half OF what he really wanted to eat.
They bathed him In diluted water at first,
gradually increasing the strength OF the
solution. At the end OF week he could
walk little, aud he began 10 take con-
stitutional OF five yards a day, Then they