Traditional Hydrotherapy

from Hydrothermic Remedies...

The ice bag is another means of applying local cold to the skin. It should be filled with finely chopped ice so that it is about 2cm / 1" thick. The air is driven out by water. Then the cap is screwed on, the bag should hold its shape by reason of the predominance of ice. It is covered with a layer of face towel before it is applied to skin. Commonly the ice bag is not kept in place continuously, but is removed for 20 minutes after 20 minutes application. Specially shaped ice bags are made for the spine, the neck (cravat) and head (ice cap).

A thick well-saturated woolen cloth placed next to the skin

Effects:

• Analgesic
• Local Sedative
• Depleting - if less than 12°C / 54°F remove long enough to allow a complete reaction every 30 min. This allows a reactionary contraction of the vessels in the inflamed organ.

In continuous applications there is passive dilation due to numbness of the cutaneous nerves so no reflex stimulation.

from Dr JH Kellogg's Hydriatic Techniques...

Every 20min Dry Friction to reaction, except for superficial inflammations

Sedative in:

• Local Inflammation
• Wounds
• Inflamed Haemorrhoids
• Neuralgia
• To Head in for Cerebral Irritability in
  • Delirium of Fevers,
  • acute Mania
  • Meningitis with warm bath
• To the length of the spine in Ataxia in Typhoid Fever
  • Be careful not to injure the skin
• to stomach or spine opposite in Vomiting, Gastric Pain from
  • Stomach Cancer or Gastric Ulcer
• to neck just above sternum, NOT chest with heat to back of chest in Asthma
• over Pelvic Inflammation with Hot Foot Bath

Analgesic

Usually over area - continue until no longer sensitive to pressure, use Fomentations instead of friction in...

• Inflamed Haemorrhoids
• Rectal Cancer
• Rectal Inflammation in ulcer
• Orchitis
• To side of neck below jaw ie carotid, with heat to cheek in Toothache,
• With Fomentations to cheek and ear in Middle Ear Inflammation
• Over the stomach, Fomentations to back in Chronic Gastritis

Antipyretic

• To head or spine and over heart in Production Fever

Reflex Haemostatic

• To face and upper spine in
  • Epistaxis
  • Acute running nose in Coryza
• To inner thigh, perineum, vagina, lumbar in
  • Uterine Haemorrhage
  • Intestinal Haemorrhage
  • bleeding Haemorrhoids
  • bladderHaemorrhages etc
• To thighs, perineum, hypogastrium with Fomentations (10min) over lumbar in
  • Renal Haemorrhage

Direct Haemostatic

over the wound - large, over whole part.

Tonic

• To spine in Cold Extremities (legs)
• Over stomach ½ hour before meal in Anorexia
• Prolonged over the heart - Tachycardia with Low Blood Pressure
• To nasal mucosa and lips in Asphyxia in Drug Addictions

Contra-indications

Where collateral hyperaemia may cause problems as in

• Inflamed muscles and joints
• Deep abscesses vascularly connected to the skin surface
• Parietal Pleurisy and Peritonitis
• Eyeball Inflammations

Most conditions where considerable pain is present.

from Dr GK Abbott's Prescriptions...

• Usually a rubber, ice filled bag covered with towel
• Can use ice pack (ice filled towel)
• Interrupt to prevent freezing and rub or apply Fomentations to renew local reaction.