The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-11-23
MASSAGE BY AMATEURS.
HINTS FOR THOSE WHO WOULD
SAVE PROFESSIONALS FEES.

DTs fNflese OF Nnb bnINerhity OF Rennrft-
wanna. Gives Some Practical Hints to
Guide Layrnen Who woull Use This
Curative Agency.
DIR. Randolph FAIRIES, the director
OF physical education in the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania, recently pre-
pared paper on the massage treat
ment which is clear and practical
enough to teach the average laymsn
enough about the subject to enable
him, after paying little attention to
few of the principles upon which
the treatme mt is based, to get all the
benefits claimed for massage and save
the fee of an experienced trainer or
masseur at the same time. In the
opinion of many medical authorities,
exercise and massage are the two
greatest curative remedies that nature
affords, and the latter is considered
by many as the coming treatment for
all those common functional troubles
like dyspepsia, constipation, jaundice,
biliousness, emaciation, nerve exhaus-
tion, ETC., and therefore a little time
spent on this subject is time well
spent.
The amateur masseur should first
of all keep in mind two important OBJ
jects OF massage treatment. They
are, first to assist the blood in the
veins back to the heart, in order to
relieve the different parts of the body
which have been exercised and are
congested, and, second, to relieve the
pain in any tissue due to any cause
whatsoever. Next it would be we'll
to have at least slight knowledge of
the structure of the body, as we'll as
of it's conformation and contours.
Muscles are not to be rubbed in the
same manner that one would rub
joints; therefore a littlo knowledge Of
muscles rs well as of joints is essen
tial. so that these may be properly
treated by rubbing them when it is
necessary.
Rubbing may be either local or
general-that is, it may be applied to
an arm, the back or the foot, or it
may be applied to the whole body.
DR.. FAIRIES mentions seven different
kinds of manipulation. "It may con-
sist of stroking the body with the
palm of the hand, slapping the body
with the open hand, beating it with
the closed fist, striking it with the
hand at right angles to the body, so
that the edge corresponding to the
side of the little finger comes into
contact with it; kneading the skin,
muscles and tendons; grabbing the
skin and muscles and squeezing them,
and making combined digital pressure
over the surface of the body in diff
ferent regions"
The friction produced by rubbing
may be either rectilinear or circular.
Either one or both hands may be used
to rub the body. 1t is customary for
the right hand Of the manipulation to
be used for the right hand and foot,
and the left hand for the left hand
and foot of the patient, If the rubbing
be applied with one hand. Both
hands are used for the back, loins,
abdomen and chest. The upward
stroke in rubbing should always be
more intense than downward, and the
stroke should extend over the whole
surface, from joint to joint, exercising
great care not to chafe the skin.
More danger of this arises in making
the upward stroke than in making
the downward.
The rubbing should not last so long
that fatigue will result Further, too
rapid rubbing will frequently cause
pain by heating the skin too quickly,
causing the hairs of the body to stick
to the manipulator's hands, giving as
final result pulling of these hairs.
Rubbing should never be begun siren.
uously at the outset, but should be
started slowly and gently, and grad
ually increased, so as to be adjusted
to the individuals feelings. Persons
taking general exercise should take n
rub after their bath. In this way they
will not only cause the blood to circu-
late again through all parts of the
body, but will also prevent or over
come the soreness or stiffness that
many be present, and, in addition to
this, the tissues of the body will con-
stantly be kept in better condition.
1t is good rule to commence rub
bing in the neighborhood OF the large
blood vessels, so as to influence the
circulation as soon as possible, and
thus, by sending the blood more
quickly to the eighboring tributaries,
influence them and the tissues sur
rounding them. The inner sides of
the upper and lower extremities are
where the large blood vessels will be
found. When rubbing, if one begins
with the lower extremities, the foot
should be well rubbed, then the ankle
joint, then the leg, after that the knee
joint, then the thigh, and, lastly, the
hip Joint. The rubbing of the upper
extremities should begin with the
hand, then the wrist joint should be
cared tor, after that the forearm, next
the elbow joint, then the arm, and,
lastly, the shoulder joint. The reason
for this is to influence the points most
remote from the heart and gradually
work toward the heart. The upper
and lower extremities may also be
rubbed upward and downward.
The chest should be rubbed from
the insertion of the large muscles up
on it to their origin, while the alb
dominal muscles should be rubbed
from the right groin, as it is common
/ l. n. 81 Al