When the fever has abated, the patient is placed in a bath of tepid water (about 64° Fahrenheit,) for a quarter of an hour ; during which time two persons must rub him briskly with the hand, water being taken up from the bath occasionally, and poured over his head and shoulders. The wet sheet, or bandages, is not unpleasant long ; the patient gets warm almost directly ; but we must not regard in- convenience or unpleasantness for a cure. Are drugs, blisters, and leeches pleasant? But the application of cold water, in any way, relieves the skin, ex- cites it, and disencumbers it of obstruc- tions which close the orifices of the pores, a reaction of the whole system ensues, a heat being created on the surface, 40 or 50 degrees above the usual temperature of the body. The body imbibes a portion of the water, which in conjunction with the heat newly caused, softens and dissolves the morbid humours, and assists in their exudation by the pores of the skin. COLD WATER CURE 1 32 COL j Ablutions. — Where persons are very weak, washing and rubbing the body must be done, in place of the bath or douche ; and water may be poured over the heads of feverish patients, and rubbed on the shoulders and parts af- fected. If the patient be too weak to allow of this rubbing, a wet sheet is thrown over him, on which the friction is applied. This is of great advantage in weak cases and young children. The ablutions are an essential, agreeable, and valuable portion of the cold water system. In trifling complaints, gout in its infancy, nervous irritability, or in weakness in the skin, ablutions, accom- panied by drinking abundantly cold water is very often sufficient to establish health. Ablutions should be performed in the morning immediately in getting out of bed, before the body has become chilled, and the patient must afterwards take exercise in the open air Fatigued persons may try the wet sheet and the rubbing, and they will speedily find the benefit of it. To use the wet sheet as an ablution, the patient stands up, and the servant throws it over his head and body ; rub the body well for five minutes, then take off the wet sheet, and put on a dry one. This is a certain relief for fatigue and over-exertion. Cold Water Drinking. — The best time both for drinking cold water and exercise is before breakfast. Then they both produce their best effects ; but the only general rule prescribed by Priessnitz is to drink cold water as much and at all times, as it can be done with- out inconvenience. Water may be drunk after breakfast, but the stomach must not be over-charged. At dinner also a few glasses may be taken to moisten the food ; after that the stomach must be left to itself ; and after the lapse of a few hours, we may go on drinking cold water until supper time. It may be taken after supper, but not so as to dis- turb the rest. Exercise, which is in it- self a part of the curative process, excites the beneficial action of the water, and promotes the cure. The water should be fresh from the spring, and as cold as possible. Stoppers must be kept in the bottles and decanters which hold it, as the water then will preserve its coldness and freshness much longer.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

When the fever has abated, the patient is placed in a bath of tepid water (about 64° Fahrenheit,) for a quarter of an hour ; during which time two persons must rub him briskly with the hand, water being taken up from the bath occasionally, and poured over his head and shoulders. The wet sheet, or bandages, is not unpleasant long ; the patient gets warm almost directly ; but we must not regard inconvenience or unpleasantness for a cure. Are drugs, blisters, and leeches pleasant? But the application of cold water, in any way, relieves the skin, excites it, and disencumbers it of obstructions which close the orifices of the pores, a reaction of the whole system ensues, a heat being created on the surface, 40 or 50 degrees above the usual temperature of the body. The body imbibes a portion of the water, which in conjunction with the heat newly caused, softens and dissolves the morbid humours, and assists in their exudation by the pores of the skin. COLD WATER CURE 1 32 COL j Ablutions. — Where persons are very weak, washing and rubbing the body must be done, in place of the bath or douche ; and water may be poured over the heads of feverish patients, and rubbed on the shoulders and parts affected. If the patient be too weak to allow of this rubbing, a wet sheet is thrown over him, on which the friction is applied. This is of great advantage in weak cases and young children. The ablutions are an essential, agreeable, and valuable portion of the cold water system. In trifling complaints, gout in its infancy, nervous irritability, or in weakness in the skin, ablutions, accompanied by drinking abundantly cold water is very often sufficient to establish health. Ablutions should be performed in the morning immediately in getting out of bed, before the body has become chilled, and the patient must afterwards take exercise in the open air Fatigued persons may try the wet sheet and the rubbing, and they will speedily find the benefit of it. To use the wet sheet as an ablution, the patient stands up, and the servant throws it over his head and body ; rub the body well for five minutes, then take off the wet sheet, and put on a dry one. This is a certain relief for fatigue and over-exertion. Cold Water Drinking. — The best time both for drinking cold water and exercise is before breakfast. Then they both produce their best effects ; but the only general rule prescribed by Priessnitz is to drink cold water as much and at all times, as it can be done without inconvenience. Water may be drunk after breakfast, but the stomach must not be over-charged. At dinner also a few glasses may be taken to moisten the food ; after that the stomach must be left to itself ; and after the lapse of a few hours, we may go on drinking cold water until supper time. It may be taken after supper, but not so as to disturb the rest. Exercise, which is in itself a part of the curative process, excites the beneficial action of the water, and promotes the cure. The water should be fresh from the spring, and as cold as possible. Stoppers must be kept in the bottles and decanters which hold it, as the water then will preserve its coldness and freshness much longer.

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