The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-08
GOLD WATER CURES
BYDRoTHERAPY Is GRADUALLY
COMING TO BE RECOGNIZED
BY MEDICAL PROFESSION
DATES BACK TO HIPPocRATEs
Applications of Cold Water Have
Stimulating Effect When
JudiciousIy APP
piled.
Special to The Globe.

NEW YORK, Dec. why has the
medical profession been so hesitating in
the recognition of hydrotherapy. Hydro
therapy has been too often regarded err
roneously as a cold water method of
cure. and shocks from cold water regard
ed like a dread specter, affrighted doctor
and patient alike imbuing the one with
doubt and the other with fear. A cold
bath is regarded with too much fear by
the average physician. "Nill it not be
too great shock to the tottering hearth"
heasks.
If cold produces such depression why
are we taught to dip an asphyxiated in
FAINT into cold water, to battle a frost-blt-
ten foot with cold water, and to apply
cold douche to the narcotized.
The truth is Hippocrates taught two
Thousand years ago that cold water
stimulates when judiciouSly applied.
If instead of bathing a fever patient in
water at 90 degrees with constant friction
we place them in water of much lower
temperature, without friction, shocks
would be endangered; if instead of rub
bling the frozen limb with snow or cold
water we wrapped it in snow or ice
necrosis would indeed ensue; if instead of
alternately dipping the atalectic infant
rapidly into hot and cold water we sub
merged its body into the latter shocks
and death would result.
These are such self-evident propositions
that it would be an insult to the ordinary
physicians Intelligence We're they not
constantly lost sight of and did I not
often meet Instances which force me to
bring them to the attention of otherwise
Intelligent colleagues.
1t is the great virtue of hydrotherapy
that it admits of the application of colo
and heat from the milder form upward,
as is shown in daily practice from the
brief sprinkling OF the face in the syn
cope to the more or less prolonged SUBJ
mersion of the entire body in typhoid
fever-from the simple hopping with wei
washcloth to the douche of forty pounds
pressure This brings us to the manner
of grading or dosing the external applica-
ton of water. At this point We have great
latitude because there are three ele-
n.ents of dosage at our disposal which
may be used alone or in combination
they are dura tons of temperature and
pressure
1t is very necessary to have these points
particularly understood
The influence of du alton is demonStraule
by dipping one hand into water at forty
degrees and removing it promptly; the
result will be a tingiing sensation follow
ed by reaction. Submerge the other hand
IL
so long a dip can be borne; the result
will be pain, chilling, cyanosis of the
skin and no reaction unless assisted by
friction. The former is a stimulating eff
feet the latter a depressing one, entirely
due TO the duration of the procedure. This
simple experiment demonstrates that by
duration we can grade the effect of cold
applications.
The safe limits of temperature in the
external Of n a n do
gees Fahrenheit tremendous latitude
when we consider the different effects
that may be ELECTED by every five or ten
degrees increase or diminution of tenn
perature. Under the application of pres
sure water also affords latitude in the
production of effects. Place a person
quietly into a tub of water at sixty de-
grees for several minutes and he will
shiver and become depressed Place him
in front of a douche at sixty degrees and
twenty pounds pressure and he will
feel stimulated by the application.
Every addition or diminution of five
pounds pressure produces a similar effect
We have no such latitude in dosing by
means of medical agents This is
potent reason for better expression on
this subject in our schools they being
lacking in facilities for physicians to in
form themselves on work devoted to hy-
dretherapy, thus leaving this important
matter to nurses and masseurs whose
claims are usually in inverse proportion
to their knowledge.
There are many reliable experiments
on record to explain the rational action of
water in disease. A few examples may
suffice to demonstrate that there is no
remedial agent whose action is more
readily explained. That the circulation of
the blood, for instance, is under complete
control of hydriatic procedures was clear
ly shown by Max Schuller's experiment
of trephining a rabbit so as to expose
the vessels in the pia mater. When the
animal was placed in tub of cold water
the pial vessels dilated, the brain pro-
truded and pulsated actively; when the
animal was placed in warm water the
pal vessels contracted, the brain sank
and the rabbit became drowsy.
Therein was shown the power we WELD
OF producing anemia or hyperimia through
the application of cold and heat The
effect of hydriatic procedures upon the
composition of the blood has been demon
strated by Winternitz, Rhovogi, Thayer,
Breitenstein, and others.
Bernard Branch, M. D.