Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Medical charity : its abuses and how to remedy them. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![SEA SICKNESS, AND HOW TO PREVENT IT: An Explanation of its Nature and Successful Treatment through the Agency of the Nervous System, ly means of the Spinal Ice-bag. With an Introduction on The General Principles of Neuro-Therapeutics. Second Edition, in 8vo, price 3s. [The work contains reports of about Forty Cases, proving that Sea-Sicltness is both preventable and curable by means of the Spinal Ice-bag. Its application is agreeable (See pages 8, 9, and 10of this Circular; it gives imme- diate comfort and relief; while arresting the sickness, as well as any cramps or spasms which may be experienced, it restores the impaired circulation of the blood to its normal standard ; and thus tlie patient, who may be cold, pallid, apathetic, and completely prostrate, quickly regains the ruddy glow and the mental and physical energy of health.] Certainly, so far as the history of these voyages across the Channel goes, it is highly in favour of the author's ingenious recommendations. . . . We advise, both for practical and theoretical purposes, that the pages of his pamphlet be carefully perused.—Lancet, March 4, 1865. I had some difficulty in persuading passengers to try it (the spinal ice-bag), but those who did were bene- fited.—Capt. White, Commander of one uf the Newhaoen and Dieppe boats, In Heeere cases where other remedies have failed, I have very generally found it (the spinal ice-bag) do great good. I have applied it to young children, delicate women, and old people. In no case does it do harm; but in the great majority of instances it soothes the nervous irritability which so commonly accompanies sea-sickness, induces sleep, and so enables the stomach to receive light food, and consequently relieves exhaustion I order it to be kept on a couple of hours; though, if the patient sleeps, as is often the case, I never remove it until after waking.—Letter of S. M. Bradley, Surgeon, Canard Service, in the Lancet, December 3, 1864. The following is an extract from a letter addressed to me, June 3rd, 1865, by Dr. Hayle, of Rochdale:—'I re- commended a patient about to cross the Atlantic to try one of your ice-bags for sea-sickness. The result was most satisfactory. He was never sick when wearing the ice-bag. Once he went without it, aud then, and then only, was he sick.' In the latter part of 1885, Mrs. Charles Darwin wrote to me, that her son had recently experienced the benefit of the spinal ice-bag, while passing from Holyhead to Ireland ' ou a rough morning.' She said,' He is very subject to sea-sickness, and is convinced that, without the ice, he would, on this occasion, have been very bad. He pu^on the bag soon after starting, when already disordered, and at once fell relief.— Diarrhaia and Cholera. By John (Jbapmak, M.D. Second edition, p. 133. If Dr. Chapman has proposed to us a means of alleviating, with almost perfect certainty, that most distressing malady, sea-sickness, we are criminally neglectful if we refuse to employ it. . . . The case (in question) is us conclusive as a single case can be, in regard to the great practical value of his discovery. . . . The effeets of tiie application of the ice-bag were little short of miraculous. In three minutes the retching ceased and the spasms wore calmed. In a quarter of an hour she (the patient) had fallen into a quiet sleep; and in half an hour her hands and Icet were of natural svarmth, and her face had regained its wonted colour. In two hours she awoke, greatly refreshed, and from that time did not miss a single meal. I can see no reason why the process may not- be successfully extended over twelve days as well as four (the treatment was continued during the whole voyage—a rough one, lasting four days anil a half—with complete success), with proper care and management.—JCeport of Cane of Sea-Sickiiets succesrfuUy treated hxj Ice to the Spine.—By B. Lbii, M.U., in the Philadelphia Medical and Surgical Seporter. Among the thousand and one remedies that have been proposed for soa-siekness, there is one which, in a 8cie:ililic point of view, towers above them all. . . . We are not accustomed to devote our leading columns to the advocacy of any therapeutical system, but we feel it due to a most able physiologist to teslify to the necessity of submittiniT his conclusions to the test of experience. In a short time sufficient facts may bo accumulated to con- firm the only scieutilic theory [of Sea-sickness) which has been put forward; a theory, be it remembered, of th.: utmost si'.;nilicance in reference to other more important diseases, and which has been applied by its author to an elucidation of the pathology of Cholera, Epilepsy, Paralysis, aud other equally diverse conditions. ... It W'luld seem from numerous instances, that, properly applied, the ice is not only safe, but jiositively ple.isant. Moreover, the soothing eflcut is so general, that sound aud refreshing sleep is frequently induced, so that we con- stantly read of patients—men, women, or little children—falling asleep on the ice-bag, aud waking up refreshed and hungry.—Medical Press and Circular, June, 1867.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22650489_0123.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
