The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-17

The American crest Cure" with Over
feeding Attachment.
London Mail.

LONDON Mill.
Society has at last found new fad, the
scientific cultivation of laziness. The
bicycle fever of three years ago has now
given place to a mania for hygiene, and
particularly that form of hygiene which
represents lying in bed the cure for all
fieshly ills.
1t is about time. Chloralism, morphine
mania, and eau de cologne intoxication
have been enormously on the increase dur
ing the past ten years. The accelerated
pace Of modern life has brought all man.
ner Of evils In its train. evils which drugs
and sedatives only increase. So smart folks
are trying the experiment Of throwing
physic to the dogs and going back to ma
ture
The weir-Mitchell rest cure is the most
popular of all. There are many nursing es-
adjustments around London which under
take this and the cure is expensive enough
to keep it select. The one great drawback
to it is the time it takes. To undergo
it properly one must be dead to the world
for from five to ten weeks.
No wise doctor will permit the rest cure
treatment to be tried at home The patient
has to go to some special institution. and
must surrender all of his interest during
the time. He Is not allowed to receive any
visitors, except after special permission
from his doctor; he must not read or write
and 1t is impressed on him that he must
not try to think. For the time he is to
be merely a passive lump of flesh in the
hands of his manipulators.
For full course of treatment the victim
is put to bed Immediately on arrival and is
not allowed to stir day or night For the
hrst two days he is given half a pint of
crad l.
size at the usual hours. His nurse NAV
amuse him by reading light literature 20
him, or, II he Is very insistent, he may in
duce her to write him letter or two
But the nurse is strictly forbidden IN tall
about illness or about his own symptoms
in any shape or form.
This Is merely preliminary. On the third
day the real treatment begins This treat
ment may be summed up In a few words
Isolation, seclusion. rest, electricity, over
feeding, massage.
Overlooking is one of the most important
parts or the whole. The idea Is IN stuff
into the patient as much as he can eat.
His appetite Is tempted in thousand ways
and ne is coaxed or bullied into eating twice
or three times his ordinary meals.
Here is specimen daily menu given TO
a delicate woman by the late Dr. Playfair.
who was great believer in the system:
a. m.-Ten ounces of raw meat soup.
a. ma cup Of black coffee
a. ma plate of oatmeal porridge. a gill
of cream. one boiled egg, three Slices OF
bread and butter, cocoa
II a. m.-Ten ounces of milk.
p. m.-Half pound of rump steak no.
tatoes, cauliftowers. savory omelette and
ten ounces of milk
p. m.-Ten ounces of milk and three
slices of bread and butter.
p. ma cup of gravy SOUP
p. ma fried sole, roast mutton fthree
large Slices, French beans. potatoes.
stewed fruit and cream and ten ounces of
milk. -
II n n,-Ten o,,rnoe ~
This same scale was maitained for the
whole time, and the triumphant physician
reported that there was no sign of dys-
peptis symptoms. Yet the lady was one
sponge finger cake was too hearty dinner
for her. In six weeks she gained three
stones and one pound in weight.
OverIeeding is not all. Twice day the
cry part of the body being kneaded and
pounded and pinched and rubbed till the
poor thing wonders II there Is such thing
In the world as peace. At first this is very
firing, but one gets accustomed to Il IN
time 1t Is necessary for the digestion of
the food Besides this. electricity is ap-
pheo 10 an the muscles once a day. This
alone takes about an hour. so that al
though the patient is resting he is bv no
means unoccupied all the time.
AFTER week or two the subject begins to
get up, nrst for quarter of an hour a
day. and so on till the greater part of the
time Is spent In a hammock or easy chair
Does this overlooking do good or harm?
On this point opinion in medical circles is
Sharply divided. But the general agree
ment Is that IL Is specially suitable for
nervous and overwrought women. With
OUT the cooperation of the patient and a
Willingness TO be passive but little can be
a9compiished. IT Is not suitable for ali
alike, and 1t is often necessary to abandon
II after few days Many people find they
cannot endure the fdleness after q short
time. o''
Wherever the cure IL gone tbrou~n .h
increase In flesh and Improvement In fhe
quality OF the blood are enormous. Some
doctors. however declare that the fiesE
They point to the fatfened sfrasho,,-~
goose, and want to know IL II is sny
healthier than it, thinner brother. who
runs about unstufred. ""o
The other cures 80 fegsthsr- They are the