Revulsives

Dr Kellogg

Dr Kellogg says...

Revulsives

The vascular dilation resulting from heat is transient in character. Within a short time after the heat is withdrawn and the skin exposed to the air, the blood vessels are made to contract by the cooling results from the evaporation and contact with the air at the ordinary atmospheric temperature. The circulatory reaction following a cold application is, however, much more lasting in character, and is also more thoroughgoing, since it is an active rather than simply a passive or paralytic dilation of the blood vessels, and influences the arteries to fully as great an extent as the veins. By a short cold application following a hot application, the atonic reaction is converted into the tonic reaction of cold, the state of the blood vessels being thus very materially changed, and active fluxion of the blood in the skin is thereby maintained for a considerable length of time. p 819

JHK

from Dr JH Kellogg's Hydriatic Techniques...

A reactionary Excitant effect where the thermic effect of cold is avoided, leaving only the circulatory reaction of local skin vasodilation to draw blood away from an inflamed congested area. In practice this means:

  • a single prolonged application of heat followed by
  • a single, very brief cold application

see also Fluxion

True revulsives begin with...

Heat

Cold

Examples:

Inflammation especially

Acute:

Visceral Pain - avoid thermic reaction

Chronic Visceral Congestion

For revulsion from upper body...

For revulsion to upper body in Pelvic Congestion or Uterine Haemorrhage ...

Gastric Irritability associated with Celiac Irritation

Superficial Anaemias

Surgical Shock