Evening star., 1925-11-04
Deep Heat for Rheumitisn t.

Heat conveyed directly 10 the body
from hot-water bottle. poultice. stupe
t or hot moist compress. Concentrations
hot water baths, hot mud OF clay ap-
plications, electric pads and other
means is universally employed for
the relief Of ache. pain. soreness or
stiffness. Heat conveyed 10 the body
Indirectly through connection. rs
from radiator or stove the various
forms Of body l.aking. hot-aii' baths
electric light cabinets. is second only
10 direct heat for the relief Of these
conditions. These are all superb
cial IN effect: that il, only the skin
Il heated. and there is no measur-
able increase in the temperature of
the deeper tissues. say. the tissues
Of lame joint or a torn liGament.
There is method of heating the
deeper tissues. which has been in
troduced in recent years. 1t il called
diathermv.
Diathermy means heating through
or deeply The heat is genera ed
In the tissues by a high frequency.
high voltage alternating current Of
relatively low smpersee. which Is
caused to pass through the tissue
from one pole or elecjrode to the
other The intervening tissue com
pletes the circuit The resistance the
tissue offers TO the current produces
The heat. This Is not properly ''elec-
tric trea atment." for in the use OF
dla thermy apparatus the physician
elicfts no reaction such as electric
trea tments induce, no nerve response.
no muscular contraction. no chemical
leaction. The only sensa ton the
pa tient experiences IL warmth.
This mode OF treatment Is giving
much satisfaction In all sorts Of Joint
injuries and dseas se. In the treat
ment Of the common fractures which
are accompanied by 50 much stiff
ness and prolonged disability. The
early institution OF ma ssage and pas
slVe movements is made much more
effective by a preliminary applica lion
OF diathermN. 1t prevents aud re-
lieVes much swelling. pa In and spa sm.
II restores something like the normal
lymph and blood circulation IN the
injured tissues, or. IN other words
prevents some of the undesirable eff
rects of disuse of the injured member.
Diathermy is valuable agency In
the treatment of Sprains and disloca-
tions. subacromical and subdeItoid
hursitis. chronic fibrpus ank ylosis or
partial riglditN OF joints and in IN
Vulnerable cases OF focal infection in
NolNine joints. 1t Is considered al
most specific for gonorrheal ar
! Thrills by some physicians who have
had wide experience with the treat
| ment. This seems reasonab BILE
enough. for physicians had long be-
'leNed that the gonococcus could be
easily destroyed by moderate heat
II some means OF heating the in
fected tissue without endange ering the
vitality Of the tissue could he de
Vised
Even infantile paralysis fpoliomye-
ltiSI cases are being treated by this
method. and some physicians report
J mat applfcatio Of the diathermy to
the portion Of spine where the spinal
cord Is probably involved and also to
the leg or arm that is paralyzed
seems 10 do some good shown by i'm
proNement in sensations and motor
power In the affected limb
There is no such disease as "rheu-
matlsm. This term Is merely one
or convenience it is especially con
Nenlent Tor quackS. mail order takers
/ incompetent doctors and patients
( who don't care particularly what ails
EN- as long as they can find new
experiments 10 try.
/. But diatheImy appears to hold
great promise for rheumitisn't. am
unable To inform anybody where such
treatment is to he had. Ask vour
doctor.