Traditional Hydrotherapy

from Hydrothermic Remedies...

Water Temperature:

• For sheet and first pail, 21°C
• second and third pails, 18 and 15°C respectively

Effects:

• A Tonic Friction
• Cerebral Derivation
• Relieve Mild Fever

Definition

A tonic treatment using a combination of Hot Foot Bath, Wet Sheet Rub and Pail Pour in the standing position.

Physiologic Effects

1. General tonic
2. To stimulate appetite
3. To relieve cerebral congestion
4. To bring down mild fever

Indications

1. Insomnia
2. Gout
3. Osteoarthritis

Contraindications and Cautions

1. Skin Eruptions
2. Hyperaesthesia
3. Acute Cardiac Weakness
4. Widespread Neuritis
5. Severe Neuralgia
6. Frailty
7. Patient must be vigorous

Equipment

1. Two large sheets
2. Three buckets with water at 21°C
3. Thermometer
4. Foot bath at 40°C

Procedure

Important Considerations

• Keep treatment room at a temperature of around 21°C
• Ensure that the patient is warm to begin with.
• Treat 2-8 minutes for a tonic effect, 15-20 minutes for antipyretic effect.
• If reaction does not occur, terminate treatment, and immediately warm patient up by: full warm bath or hot foot bath, or put to bed with to water bottle to feet and sides of trunk.

Preparation for Treatment

• Strip patient and stand him in foot bath.

Treatment

• Soak sheet in water at 21°C and wring out water partially.
• Wrap sheet around the trunk of patient once (with hands raised).
• Continue wrapping with hands down; envelope hands.
• Wrap around legs; tuck sheet between legs.
• Empty a pail of water over the patient's head, shoulders, and trunk.
• Rub briskly with stroking and percussion; start with the back, then the sides and extremities.
• Continue until sheet becomes warm.
• Pour second pail over patient and massage as before.
• Pour third pail over patient and rub down briskly until reaction, characterised by warming of the sheet, occurs
• Conclude treatment by removing wet sheet and covering with a dry sheet.
• Rub down until patient is dry and warm and skin is hyperaemic

Completion of Treatment

• Rest the patient 15-30 minutes.
• Put away equipment.

from Dr JH Kellogg's Hydriatic Techniques...

• Hot Foot Bath 40°C,
• Sheet 20°C, 1st pail 18°C, 2nd pail 15°C
• Powerful Tonic
• the strongest normally used besides Cold Douche

Antipyretic

• Reclining - apply as wet sheet pack with gentle rubbing
• Re-wet with 18°C sprinkling until shivering
• Re-apply when 39°C rectal temperature in

• Retention Fever
• Fevers with Cardiac Insufficiency use a quickly applied
• Very hot Dripping Sheet followed by Cold Mitten Friction - especially in long continued cases
• Very high Production Fever - repeated very wet or double sheet 15°C

Tonic

Wrung dry out of 15°C water in:

• Debility in...
  • Obesity
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Gout
  • Diabetes
• Following
  • Electric Light Bath 4min
  • Vapor Bath 4min
  • Hot Tub Bath 40-41°C, 2min
  • all with Precordial Compress or Ice Bag in Cardiac Oedema

Antiphlogistic and Refrigerants

10-15min, with rubbing

Contra-indications

see Wet Sheet Rub

from Dr GK Abbott's Prescriptions...

• Pails at 21, 18 and 15°C
• As for Wet Sheet Rub except sheet is left on after skin is warmed by rubbing and 3 pails of cool to cold water are poured over the sheet with vigorous rubbing between each.
• Reduce water temperature as the patient reacts.