An index of diseases and their treatment / by Thomas Hawkes Tanner.

  • Thomas Hawkes Tanner
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An index of diseases and their treatment / by Thomas Hawkes Tanner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    512/540 (page 474)
    ibut little, if any, stniotiiral cliange ; or in cases where disease is threatened. Hence the snffererK sent to the Spas are for the most part ■affected with skin affections, strnmous and other rebellious ulcers, stiff- ness of joints and limbs from old sprains, &c.; chronic gout, rheuma- tism, sciatica, or neuralgia; gastric, hepatic, or renal disorders, sluggish action of the intestines, particularly of the colon and rectum; paralytic nffections, whore all active disease has been subdued ; hysteria or hypochondriasis ; or with certain functional disorders of the uterine system. Nothing but mischief can arise where there is either acute disease, tuberculosis, cancer, fatty degeneration of any important struc- ture, aneurism, or mischief about the heart or large vessels. Where ■there is any predisjiosition to cerebral, pulmonarj-, gastric, or intestinal Jiasmorrhage all thermal mineral waters (especially in the form ofTiaths) ■are contra-indicated. The young and the verj- aged, moreover, will derive little or no benefit: and in pregnane} the use of the springs, to say the least, demands great caution. The time for residing at some of the Spas is from the beginning of May tmtil about the close of September ; but at several of the foreign ones it is only from June until the end of August. At a few of the hot •springs, invalids (chiefly the gouty) remain tbrough the winter. The treatment, however, is not commonly to be prolonged beyond six or eight weeks ; and often three or four will sirSice. Tlie invalid should not be led to expect immediate relief. And he should be cautioned ■against the popular idea that the benefit derived will be in proportion to the quantity of water taken ; while it may be as well to let him know that critical eruptions (psydracia thermalis), and critical fluxes are neither necessarj' nor advantageous. As anile, bathing and drink- ing ought not to be commenced on the same day; and at first only a moderate quantity of the water should be taken,—two or three of the ordinary glasses before breakfast, and one or two in the evening. After ti time, a glassful may also be taken before dinner. \erj hot water is to be cooled, and very cold to be warmed, before drinking. When the strength will permit of it, early rising (at about six o'clock) is to be recommended, so that the doses may be taken before breakfast. The contents of the tumbler are to be sipped slowh- and methodically, not hastily swallowed like a nauseous draught; and an interval of 15 minutes, at least, should be allowed between each glass, whicli time may well be spent in a short walk. An hour after the last glass, a light breakfast is to be taken. Then, a gentle saunter, the bath, reading, writing letters, &c., will agreeably occupy the hours till the early dinner; tit which fruit and raw vegetables had better bo avoided, while a moderflte quantity of light wine, or of mild bitter beer, can be pennit ted. An excursion to the objects of interest in the neighbourhood, perhaps one or two more glasses of water—never more than half the quantity taken in the morning—a light supper at 8 o'clock, and bed two hours afterwards will complete the day's work. Mineral waters are sometimes classified into the thermal or hot, and the cold springs. ]5ut a more useful division is into ch;ilybeate, sulplm- rous, gaseous or acidulous, saline, iodo-bromated, and niuriated lilhia waters. Clans 1. CJiiili/hcali' or Fcrnif/hions ll'aicrs:.—A hirge number of waters contain smnll quanfilics of iron, but none are considered as belonging to this chiss unli'ss tlie proportion of melal is considerable. The cliief acidu- lous chalybealcs (Ihoso which contain mucli carbouic acid pas) are the Avaters of Schwalbach, Spa., Pyrmont, iiruckeuau, the Gambray well at