Traditional Hydrotherapy

Dr Kellogg says...

Revulsive Compress

In the revulsive compress the procedure is so managed that the thermic reaction is wholly suppressed. This gives it superior power as an analgesic measure, in which respect it is, in fact, superior to all other hydriatic processes. This end is attained by superheating the skin before the cold application, then making a cold application of just sufficient intensity and duration to absorb the surplus heat without reducing the skin temperature below the normal point. Under these conditions, thermic reaction can not possibly occur, hence metabolic activity is not increased, neither do systemic or local disturbances occur, and a purely revulsive, non-excitant, and analgesic effect is obtained. pp 819,20