Fig. 4
To prevent colds, to become steeled and strengthened against the change of temperature, often so hurtful, it is advisable to take such sitting-baths often, but best of all at night. When awakening at any hour, spring quickly from bed and into the sitting-bath, then at once without drying go back to bed again. I wish, however, to caution against a too frequent repetition of this sitting-bath, because by it the blood is too strongly led to the lower parts, and hemorrhoids are caused thereby; 2 or 3 times a week may be allowed.
Whoever is in want of a sound, quiet sleep at the beginning of the night, who, suddenly awakening at night, cannot go to sleep again, everyone in general, who is suffering with sleeplessness, may frequently use this sitting-bath, taking it for one to two minutes. It removes excitement and produces agreeable repose.
A patient, for a long time, could seldom sleep for more than 1 or 2 hours, and, tossing about in bed, he became more and more excited with thoughts of every kind. These baths brought back to him the longed for guest (sleep).
This application is especially recommended to those who rise in the morning with a confused and heavy head, or more tired than when they lay down; also to all healthy persons it is once more recommended most heartily.
2. The warm sitting-bath
is never prepared only with warm water; it is always made either with
a. Shave-grass,
b. Oat-straw, or
c. Hay-flowers.
All these baths are prepared in the same way; boiling water is poured upon the herbs, and the mixture is put on the fire to boil for some time; then the vessel is taken away, and the mixture allowed to cool to the temperature of 24° — 26° R. (in few cases 30°), when the whole is poured into the prepared bath. Such a bath may last for a quarter of an hour; in order not to waste the herbs, I use them for two more applications. The one is made 3 to 4 hours after the first, the other an hour after the second, but both in the cold mixture, for 1 to 2 minutes each.
Such sitting-baths with herbs I allow 2 to 3 times a week at the utmost, many times only alternately with cold baths, in cases where a deep-rooted complaint is to be cured, e. g. bad hemorrhoids, fistulas at the rectum, disorder of the blind gut and such like. Those who are troubled with ruptures, need not be prevented from the use of these baths on their account.
a. The sitting-bath with shave-grass serves especially and chiefly for spasmodic, rheumatic disorders, of the kidneys and the bladder, and for gravel and stone complaints.
b. The sitting-bath with oat-straw is an excellent bath for all complaints of gout.
c. The sitting - bath with hay-flowers is of more general influence and may be used instead of the two others against all the complaints named above, but with less effect. It has always been of good service to me for the evacuation of stagnant matters in the bowels, for exterior swellings, ulcers (erysipelas), constipation, hemorrhoids, spasmodic and colic-like symptoms (caused by wind).
IV. Full-baths
These baths also are divided into cold and warm full-baths. Both kinds are useful for healthy as well as for sick persons.
1. The cold full-bath can be taken in two different ways, either by the patient standing or lying with his whole body under the water; or, to prevent the perceptible pressure of the water on the lungs, (although there is never any danger attached to it) he may go into the water up to the armholes, so that the top of the lungs remains free; then the upper part of the body is quickly washed with the hand or with a coarse towel.
The shortest time for such a cold full-bath is half a minute, the longest, which should not be exceeded, 3 minutes.
I shall be obliged to speak of this, my particular view, several times hereafter. Here I will only remark that, about 20 years ago, I was of another opinion myself, that I advised baths of a longer duration, and supposed that water-cure-institutions could not deviate from the best method.
My experience of long years and my daily practice upon myself and others have long since taught me better. These, my teachers, brought me to the firm conviction that regarding cold-water-baths the right and true principle is this:
The shorter the bath, the better the effect. To remain one minute in the cold - water - bath is wiser and safer than to remain there for 5 minutes.
Whether it be for the use of healthy or sick persons, I reject every bath of more than 3 minutes duration.
This conviction to which innumerable facts have brought me, and which have since then confirmed me in it, explains my own opinion on the rugged applications used in hydropathic establishments, as well as on the oftentimes thoughtless bathing in summer time.
As regards the latter point, there are people who once, or even twice a day, remain for half an hour and more in the water. If this is done by able swimmers who move about vigorously during the time, and who can take good, nourishing food after bathing, I have less objection. Their robust nature will soon make up for that which the bath has taken. But to land-rats, who, without real movement, creep about in the water for half an hour like toilsomely moving tortoises, such a tormenting bath is not only of no use, but it injures, and if often, too often repeated, it injures much; such baths are relaxing and fatiguing. Instead of being useful to nature, to the organism, they harm it; instead of strengthening and nourishing, they consume.
1 .The cold full bath
a. The cold full-bath for the healthy.
I have many times received admonitions at known and unknown hands, telling me that I ought to consider how the applications of cold water were synonymous with extraction of warmth, how such an extraction was very hurtful to persons who are poor of blood, and how much nervousness was being increased by it.
I agree with every word, if the too rugged applications described above are meant; but my applications of which we are now speaking, the cold-water-baths, I recommend to all healthy persons at every season, summer and winter, and I assert that precisely these baths contribute in a substantial manner to the maintaining and strengthening of health; they purify the skin; they increase the action of the skin; they refresh, vivify and strengthen the whole organism. In winter these baths ought not to exceed the number of two a week; one is sufficient every week, in some circumstances, every fortnight.
There are still two more points to be mentioned here.
The hardening against the different influences, the changes of temperature, (weather, seasons), plays an important part in keeping healthy. Unhappy he whose lungs, neck or head are injured by every wind, every breeze, who is obliged to consult the vane the whole year round, to see what kind of wind is about. It is a matter of indifference to the tree in the open air, whether there is storm or calm, heat or cold. It braves wind and weather; it is hardened. Let a healthy man try our bath and he will resemble the strong tree.
One cause of fear and anxiety on account of this cold-water-applications, cannot easily be taken away from many; I am inclined to call it a fixed idea of extraction of warmth. The cold weakens and must weaken, they say, unless a feeling of warmth immediately follows the application. Quite true; I agree with them. But on the other hand I assert that, not to speak of the amount of exercise, which