Sea-sickness and how to prevent it : an explanation of its nature and successful treatment, through the agency of the nervous system, by means of the spinal ice-bag : with an introduction on the general principles of neuro-therapeutics / by John Chapman.
- Chapman, John, 1821-1894.
- Date:
- 1868
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Sea-sickness and how to prevent it : an explanation of its nature and successful treatment, through the agency of the nervous system, by means of the spinal ice-bag : with an introduction on the general principles of neuro-therapeutics / by John Chapman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![Druitt came to my Louse to see the result of my treatment of paralysed and epileptic patients, of whom he saw five. He sub- sequently wrote me a letter, giving his impression of what he had seen. After confessing that he was agreeably surprised at the results of my treatment, and stating that ‘ there was no mistaking the testimony of the patients that those results had been most beneficial,’’ he observes, ‘I learned from all the patients that the treatment had made them more comfortable; I mean as regards their general feelings of health and animal sensations, without reference to the relief of particular symptoms. In my own practice, I lay the greatest stress on this point. It is true, that some methods of treatment are ultimately beneficial, although they may be most repulsive or nauseous, and give great discom- fort and malaise for the time, but it will not be denied that, cceteris paribus, that treatment is most likely to do good which shall seem congenial to the whole feelings, whilst meanwhile the patient is saved much annoyance and misery.’’ ’’ It is in fact difficult to imagine that a remedy which relieves suffering, and in many cases causes the patient to sleep, ean be otherwise than soothing and agreeable; and that the Spinal Ice- bag does these things is attested by an amount of evidence which makes doubt of its effects in these respects impossible. Referring to its application as a remedy for sea-sickness, Mr. Bradley, surgeon to one of the Atlantic steamers of the Cunard service, says (in a letter to the Lancet),—“ 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 eouple of hours; though as the patient sleeps, as is often the ease, I never remove it until after waking.’’^ And Dr. Benjamin Lee, of Philadelphia, in an aeeount of a ease (given below at page 102) of extremely severe sea-siekness treated suceessfully by the Spinal Ice-bag, saj^s: “The ef- fects of the application of the Ice-bag were little short of miraculous. In three minutes the retching ceased and the spasms were calmed. In a quarter of an hour, she [the patient] had fallen into a quiet sleep; and in half an hour her hands and feet were of natural warmth, and her face had regained its wonted eolour. In two hours she awoke, greatly refreshed, and from that time did not miss a single meal She](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22342977_0090.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
