Exercise in education and medicine / by R. Tait McKenzie.

  • R. Tait McKenzie
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Exercise in education and medicine / by R. Tait McKenzie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    immediately beneath it are affected. The term u tremble pressing” accurately describes it. These manipulations are so difficult to perform skilfully and so exhausting to the operator that machines were designed by Zander to replace the inaccurate and rapidly tiring human hand. They will be fully described in the chapter on Apparatus. General massage is best given at an hour midway between meals, and never immediately after eating. The order in which the manipulations are given is as follows: The parts are first lubricated with cocoa-butter or vaselin, to avoid the irritation which may follow the friction of a hairy surface. The operator starts with the feet, and gently but firmly pinches up the skin and subcutaneous tissue, rolling it between the fingers and thumb until both surfaces of each foot have been covered. With the thumbs and fingers, the small muscles of the foot are kneaded, special attention being devoted to the interosseous groups, which require slow deep pressure from the thumbs. Care should be taken to avoid bruising of muscle and skin against the underlying bones. The foot is then grasped and all the natural movements of the toes and ankle are rehearsed. Next the region of the ankle is dealt with in the same fashion, and stroking movements are made from the toes to the leg, to empty the superficial veins of the foot. The leg is next treated by circular friction with the fingers, by deeper grasping of the areolar tissue, and last by industrious and deep pinching of the larger muscular masses, which for this purpose are put in a position of complete relaxation (Fig. 23). For the large muscles of the calf and thigh both hands act, the one contracting while the other lessens its grip. The firm muscles in the front of the leg are rolled under the cushions of the finger¬ tips. At brief intervals upward stroking is given from ankle to knee, to favor the flow of venous blood-currents. The same process is carried on for the hands and the arms. Especial care is now given to the muscles of the loins, back, and neck,which are subjected to frictions, kneading, and striking with the ulnar border of the open hand (Fig. 24), followed by upward stroking of the loins and back, the same manipulation being directed downward and