Traditional Hydrotherapy

from Dr GK Abbott's Prescriptions...

The epidemic of 1918 and 1919

see Pneumonia for influenzal pneumonia

Problems:

• Bacteraemia
• Bacterial Toxaemia - can cause death in 1-2 days
• Acidosis from suboxidation
• Leucopenia - 3000-4000 white blood cells
• Toxic Vasomotor Paresis causing extreme vascular dilation and death
• Active Chest Congestion and Pneumonia - inflammatory - oedema type
• lungs filled with fluid

Treatment Method:

• Quarantine in bed and warm room when first symptoms appear and maintain strict bed rest for the duration of the illness.
• Simple diet
• Hot Foot Bath BID with
• Hot Lemon drinking and
• Fomentations to the front and back of chest then
• Cold Mitten Friction - careful not to chill

First treatment: to sweating for 5-10min, if no complications present

• Rationale: Derivative relieves Active Chest Congestion Tonic cold restores vessel tone and increases oxidation and elimination of toxins.
• Heat and Graduated Tonic Cold together produce leucocytosis and phagocytosis
• Lemon has Vitamin C and combats the acidosis

General:

• Later treatments should not continue to sweating instead are brief and vigorous.
• Patient must stay in bed, even for toileting, for at least 3 days after temperature becomes normal.
• Patient must be kept warm at all times, extra blankets and
• Hot Water Bottle if needed, to prevent Active Chest Congestion and Pneumonia.
• Enema given.
• This was the treatment used by the doctor at Hutchinson, Minnesota, Advent Seminary in 1918 for 90 cases with no fatalities. Other places had a mortality rate of 10-20%.