Practical essays / by Sir Charles Bell.

Date:
1841-1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical essays / by Sir Charles Bell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Nos. 3 and 4, the spine is put into full and safe exer- cise. With regard to the inclined plane, some remarks will be necessary. The patient should not be permit- ted to stand nor to sit, unless occasionally, and for a short time. When really active, she is suffering no harm; but standing or sitting indolently is injurious. Therefore she should always rest in the inclined posi- tion. The plane on which she reclines, fig. 5, is in two parts, and on wheels. Whilst she is reclining on it, lying on her back, the upper portion of the plane is fixed, whilst the lower is let loose, so that slipping down a few inches, it gently stretches the spine. It is proper to use cushions to the more prominent part, higher on the right side, lower on the left, thus applying a lateral pressure in aid of the elongation of the spine. The plane is calculated to assist in exer- cises. When the lower part is removed, the patient lies upon the upper part, fig. 6, on her face, and with her hands she draws herself up, at the same time throwing up the head, and curving the spine back- wards. If there be great falling in of the lower part of the spine [and this will be the case if rickets has been the complaint], she should lie on her back, and taking hold of cords attached to the pins, draw her- self up.