Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ... to improve her general bodily, and, as a result, her mental health; and massage, to enable the excessive amount of food eaten to be assimilated. For this treatment it is naturally highly desirable that the patient should be removed from her home. She is placed in bed, and is put at first on milk diet. Massage is begun in two or three days, and faradism a week or so later, in order to stimulate muscular metabolism, and from about a quarter of an hour a day at first this treatment is increased in duration to as long as one and a half hours daily, at the expiration of a few weeks. As the duration of this treatment is lengthened, the milk, and, later on, milk and solid food, is increased in quantity; and according to the efficacy of the massage more and more food is taken, till enormous quantities are consumed and absorbed, and the patient increases markedly in weight. After each massage the patient should be wrapped up, and the room darkened in order that she may rest; and during this treatment it is highly desirable that both the doctor and the nurse should help and encourage her, all the time, however, so as not to cause any excitement, tactfully exercising the necessary moral control. The patient should, if emaciated, gain at least 2 lb. a week, otherwise the treatment should not be persevered with. If, on the other hand, the patient be stout, it is frequently desirable to diminish her weight, by rest in bed and low diet, before the treatment is commenced. The after-treatment consists in graduated exercise, and usually a more or less lengthy holiday before returning to her home. It is unnecessary to refer here at length to the treatment of individual symptoms, as a suitable method will readily suggest itself in most cases. In many...
