Year: 1859

nausts him, so that very little benefit is
derived from il. and often positive dam
age. But let such person be seated in
an easy position and his muscles be put
into the proper action by an assistant
bending the various joints Of the body
This should be done slowly and gently,
because the longer contracting muscle is
held 10 that state. the greater its effect on
its substance. Thus his muscles NAV one
by one be made to act in the most power
iui manner, many times more powerfully
than II all acting at the same moment,
with very little effort and no fatigue on
the patients part till all have been
brought under the same influence. More.
over, as we can make the muscles act as
we choose, we can thus control the circu
lat:on-the blood flowing towards and in.
to the muscles which are acting, provided
there are no other processes going on at
the same time in other parts of the sys-
tenn, counteracting the desired effects, as
in the case in common exercise. Thus
we have the power of lOcalizing the move.
ment and producing specific effects; as
by acting on the extremities while the
rest of the body is at rest, we can produce
periphoric circulation aud relieve local
congestions of the lungs, for instahce.


The application of this philosophical
mode of treating disease is extremely sim,
pie. The whole aim and end of treat
ment is to produce harmony and .equi-
librium in the vital forces. A piece of
machinery is only so strong as the weak
est wheel in it. The machine is made
stronger by increasing the power of the
weaker member, and in lessening relative
disproportions of force. So with the
great human apparatus. Many chronic in
vallds cannot afford TO waste their power
in vague indiseriminate efforts, while they
are abundantly capable of developing par
ticular functions. Thus debility and irri.
liability of the nervous system is relieved
by irritating the muscles; that is, by di-
recting the nervous power to be expended
on the muscles instead of being wasted in
receiving external impressions. Lateral
curative of the spine, said to afflict so
large a proportion of boarding school girls,
and caused by weakness and unequal ac-
ton of the spinal muscles, is only partial.
ly benefited by ordinary exercise I; but,
by understanding the anatomy of the
parts, and how to put the different groups
OF muscles in proper motion, and make
them act equally and harmoniously, the
curvature is speedily restored. To effect
this, no violent motion, but, on the con-
trary, gentle action is required.


Paralysis of motion is caused by some
damage having been done to the nervous
centers which prevents the muscles from
acting. But this cause may he partially
or wholly removed. and still the paralyzed
muscles do not act, because the other
muscles, not affected, act so much more
readily that the effort is spent on those
most easily stimulated so that the re-
covery of the muscles does not keep pace
with the recovery in the nervous centers.
The principle of treatment in such cases
is simply to place the patient in such a
position that when he makes an effort to
use the palsied muscles it will be easier
for them to act and more difficult for 9TH
ers to act instead. The principles in-
volved in this treatment deserve most at
tention for their promise to counteract the
tendency to disease and deformity arising
from the habits which society imposes upon
our women. Anything which will gently,
gradually, almost unconsciously give tone
and vigor to the circulation and the mus
cles, plumpness to the form, fullness to
the chest. steadiuess and grace to the car
rage, and, instead of that lassitude and
languid expression so common, tone of
life and health, while relieving those pc
culiar maladies arising from their common
weakness, would be great boon to our
countrywomen. This treatment does not
clash with any existing theories, but comes
in merely to fill up void.