New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1912-05-15
III
night.

an accident may recover fully from
his injuries. It may take him weeks,
0a0s1A u even years to regain his
fun capacity for work and to qualify
for steady employment. The problem
that the scientists have tried to solve
is to reduce the period of GONZALES
cence by means which only the
wealthy Of other countries could at
ford. y
The German sick benefit associa-
tons have also sought to improve the
hygienic condition of employment.
Circulars have been sent to heads Of
establishments recommending certain
sanitary measures; they distribute
among the workmen pamphlets advo-
eating measures of sanitation. In
Berlin a commission was established
by the sick benefit society to provide
courses of lectures on questions Of
hygiene given by specialists and ply
sicians free to the members and their
families. The courses comprise les
sons, treatment of dwelling, of food,
of hygiene for children, of the care of
the skin and clothing, Of contagious
diseases, of disinfection, of industrial
hygiene in general, of the hygiene of
the eye, ear and house and, finally, of
the legislation respecting working
mans insurance. a
The conviction reached by all writ
ers on compulsory insurance is that
better and more efficient individual
care of the injured is assured. The in
juries are treated more promptly with
the result that they assume less Sc
we're aspects and the recovery is more
rapid and the final disability less Sc
we're.
One agent that can be credited with
having done more than any other to
produce these results is system of
treatment which exerts its action on
the weak and diseased body by means
Of massage and medico-gymnastics.
Joints that have become stiffened by
injuries, disease or long wearing of
,plints must be loosened up. Muscles
hat have become weakened through
injury or disuse from long confine
ment must be strengthened and re-
stored to fluff working capacity. A
,kilful masseur can do this, but on
y at a great expenditure of time and !
Machines have been devised
o provide for a large number of pa
tents and to put the necessary treat |
nent within the reach of all. These
in some cases supersede,
The work of the masseur., The ma
chimes have for their purpose the
gradual moving of the joints and gen.
lie exercise of the muscles.
They are so scientifically construct
ed that the joint to be moved works
in the exact physiological line. They
are capable of such delicate adjust
ment that the most tender joint or
weakened muscle can be placed in the !
machines and made to work without |
pain or effort. In fact, when the pa
tient is powerless to make any move
ment a motor can be attached which |
passively moves the patients joint.
There are machines for flexion, for
stretching, turning, knead'
ing or vibration. Special machines
have been constructed for each joint,
and for every normal motion of each
joint. They range from the small
est motions of each individual finger
Joint to the widest range of the hip
or spine.
Some years ago almost thousand
letters were sent to physicians and
hospitals in Germany requesting in
formation as to the number of ma.
chimes they possessed, the length of
time that they had been using them
and how many patients approximate
ly they had treated in one year. Some
had been using them for twenty years,
some of the larger hospitals had treat
ed $500 patients in one year. A ques-
ton put, the answers to which were of
great interest, was whether they had
used medico-gymnastics to hasten
convalescence from disease or opera
tons not relating particularly to
joints. This was answered by most
in the affirmative, and the consensus
of opinion was that convalescence was
fastened and its duration diminished
from 33 1-3 to so per cent by the use
of these machines.
This means that without increased
equipment or extra cost the value of
a hospital using this treatment is in
creased by a large per cent. A care