Macfadden's Fasting, Hydropathy and Exercise/CHAPTER XVI
IV. DETAILED ADVICE FOR TREATMENT.
CHAPTER XVI.
Wet sheet pack will be referred to in treatments advised and same can be taken as follows: Wet two heavy sheets in cold water: wring them out and lay them on a bed or sofa: let the patient lie on these, then take the top sheet and wrap tightly around the patient under the arms; then take the under sheet and wrap tightly around the patient over the arms. Of course this can be done with one sheet, but it is not quite so advantageous, as the wet cloth does not come in contact with every part of the body. The patient should be allowed to remain there until the cloth is dry, or until he awakes, as it is quite usual for the patient to go to sleep under these circumstances.
Asthma:
Remain in the open air as much as possible. Be very careful to see that whenever indoors that the air is purified by thorough ventilation. Confine diet to two meals per day, though it would be far preferable if you would eat but one meal per day for at least one or two weeks. Take long walks in the open air, and acquire a habit of drawing in deep inhalations during these walks, expanding the lungs to their fullest capacity. While taking these breathing exercises make a habit of endeavoring to exhale every particle of air from the lungs that you can, and then inhale all that you possibly can. Use great care not to overeat. Every morning immediately upon arising, after taking sufficient exercise to accelerate the circulation thoroughly, take a cold sitz bath for one minute. Exercise numbers 7, 9, 10, 15 and 17 should be given especial attention, though the entire system could be used to advantage.
Bilious Fever:
Immediately upon appearance of the first symptoms take a wet sheet pack. Encourage the appetite for cold water, in every way, drinking copiously of same. Allow no food of any nature until the fever has diminished, and until there is strong appetite for same. Use cold sitz bath twice a day, and follow this each time with wet sheet pack until symptoms begin to disappear. The colon flushing treatment will sometimes hasten recovery in this complaint. As the symptoms begin to lessen in severity, some of the milder movements shown in preceding chapter can be taken with benefit.
Biliousness:
Confine the diet to one meal a day only. Eat very slowly. Encourage the appetite for fruits. Take long walks in the open air with many breathing exercises. Take the entire system of exercise as illustrated daily until slightly tired.
Blackheads:
Take up some thorough, systematic exercises for strengthening the entire organism, such as illustrated here. Take long walks in the open air, with many breathing exercises. Confine diet to two meals per day and be very careful to masticate the food thoroughly. Take two or three hot baths, with plenty of soap and water, per week. Apply hot and cold water alternately to the parts affected, at least twice a day. At night when retiring place a wet cloth on the affected parts so it will remain there until dry. Use a friction brush of some kind where the blackheads appear, once each day: this should always precede the hot and cold applications.
Bladder Disease:
Confine diet to one full meal or two light meals per day. Take long walks in the open air, with plenty of breathing exercises. Use only very pure water, and encourage your appetite in every way for this. If the disease is at all serious, all meats and stimulants of every character must be avoided. Of the exercises here illustrated numbers 2, 3, 4, 8, 11, 13, 14 and 18 will be found especially beneficial, though the entire system should be used to a certain extent.
Blood Diseases:
Avoid all use of stimulants. Confine the diet to one meal per day for at least a week, though a longer continuance of same would be preferable. Take two or three hot baths per week, using plenty of soap. Take long walks in the open air, with deep breathing. If the skin is affected to any great extent, wet sheet pack will be found of advantage. Take the entire system of exercise as illustrated daily until slightly tired.
Boils:
If this trouble is chronic, one boil appearing after another, a general system of exercises and an abstemious diet for building up the general health is advised. Wet sheet pack will be found of advantage to open the pores of the skin and thus throw off impurities. Two or three hot baths per week, with plenty of soap, should always be taken, and great care should be used at meal times to thoroughly masticate every particle of food eaten. Deep breathing, and long walks will be found to advantage. There are two processes of treating boils: One is to "feed up" and thus more hurriedly bring the boil to a head, and another is, in case it is not too far advanced, to adopt a very abstemious diet and thus cause it to be absorbed into the circulation. If too far advanced, the former method is, of course, preferable.
Brights Disease:
Same treatment as in Bladder Disease, though the necessity for the extreme abstemious diet is much stronger in this disease than in the other; in fact about the quickest way to cure a disease of this character is an absolute and protracted fast. By living very abstemiously, and avoiding all stimulants and meats the incipient phases of Bright's Disease can always be brought to a satisfactory cure. Bronchitis:
A cold sitz bath on arising. Wet sheet pack to follow same if symptoms are severe. One light meal a day until benefit is noticed. Deep breathing exercises, and great care to see that pure air is secured at all times.
Carbuncles:
Same treatment as for Boils.
Catarrh:
Treatment should aim at building up the general health, and purifying the blood in every way. Long walks and deep-breathing exercises in the open air. Regular use of some system of exercises such as are illustrated here. Every care to secure fresh air at all times, and special attention required to thorough mastication of food that digestion may be carried on more perfectly and more easily. The daily use of some antiseptic wash for the nostrils can be commended, such as a very mild solution of salt and water; about a quarter teaspoonful of salt to a glass of water. This solution must never be made stronger as it very often irritates the mucous membrane and makes the symptoms more severe if this mistake is made.
Chicken-Pox:
Cold sitz bath and wet sheet pack twice a day. No food until symptoms begin to disappear, and strong appetite is noted.
Children's Diseases:
In all children's diseases the first, and about the most effective, remedy is to thoroughly flush the colon. Allow no food until there is a strong and unmistakable desire for same. Wet sheet pack can be advised once or twice a day in all fevers. Where there is severe pains in the bowels, apply very hot cloths, changing frequently.
Colds:
Stay in the open air as much as possible; long walks, and deep breathing will be found of advantage. A fast of a day or two will be found of great aid, and usually when the first meal is eaten after this fast but little will remain of the cold. Rubbing the skin until the circulation is thoroughly accelerated will be found of advantage. Treatment of hot steam baths can also be recommended in severe cases.
Constipation:
Exercise No. 8 will be found of special advantage in this particular complaint, and should be taken at least twice a day until thoroughly tired. Walking in the open air and deep breathing will also be found beneficial. In every case avoid white bread, eating whole wheat bread instead, and confine diet to two meals per day. An all-round system of exercises for building up the general system will also assist recovery.
Consumption:
Remain in the open air as much as possible. Have the windows in your sleeping-room so arranged that the air in the inside contains the same amount of oxygen as that outside. Give especial attention to exercises numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17 and 18. These exercises should be taken at least twice daily, and in the open air if possible making a habit during these exercises to draw in all the breath you can inhale. A long walk with deep breathing each day. The diet should be confined to one or two meals per day, and great care should be taken to thoroughly masticate each morsel. If symptoms are at all severe, the patient should retire at night in a wet sheet pack. The cure of this complaint will depend a great deal upon your ability to breathe pure air night and day, and upon your ability to secure a large amount of exercise. Coughs:
Long walks in the open air, and deep breathing will be found beneficial, also exercises numbers 1, 7, 15, 16 and 17. Great care should be taken not to evereat, and to thoroughly masticate every morsel. Confine diet to two meals per day. Secure some pure, strained honey and use same frequently whenever cough becomes irritated. At night, upon retiring, wet cloth and wrap same around neck and chest and allow it to remain there until dry, or until morning.
Croup:
Wrap the throat and chest in cloths as hot as can possibly be borne; change same frequently until symptoms disappear.
Diabetes:
Same treatment as for Bladder Diseases and Bright's Disease.
Diarrhea:
A fast of a day or two would be the best manner of beginning treatment for this trouble, then confine diet to one meal a day; eat very slowly; masticate thoroughly; avoid meats and stimulants of all kinds. Eat Graham bread and vegetables, also fruits, if desired. Remain in the open air as much as possible. Diphtheria:
Wet sheet pack should be given immediately upon appearance of the first symptoms; hot and cold cloths applied alternately around neck and chest previous to use of wet sheet pack. Colon flushing treatment should be given once or twice per day; wet sheet pack twice a day; hot and cold applications to the throat as often as required. Encourage appetite for cold water, in every conceivable way. Usually, the more water than can be drunk, the better. Absolutely no food of any kind should be allowed until serious symptoms abate and until strong craving for food appears.
Dropsy:
One meal per day only. Eat but little meat. Take as much exercise in the open air as possible without serious fatigue. The entire system of exercises here illustrated will be found beneficial in this trouble, though exercises numbers 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 can be especially recommended.
Dyspepsia:
One meal per day; masticate every morsel thoroughly. Avoid white bread, using Graham or rye bread instead. Never eat unless there is a strong desire for food. Every mouthful must be thoroughly enjoyed. The entire system of exercises illustrated in this book should be taken until slightly fatigued. Take long walks in the open air, and see that you breathe pure air at all times. Open the windows of your sleeping-room, both top and bottom, from six to twelve inches.
Eczema:
One meal per day. Avoid all meat and white bread. Take long walks in the open air, with plenty of deep breathing exercises. The entire system of exercises illustrated herewith once daily, taking each movement until slightly fatigued. One cold sitz bath daily, which should be followed by wet sheet pack.
Epilepsy:
One meal per day for the first week. Stay in the open air all you possibly can. Take all the exercises here illustrated, using each one until slightly fatigued. If symptoms are especially severe, wet sheet pack should be taken once daily.
Erysipelas:
Wet sheet pack upon the first appearance of the trouble. Fast until strong desire for food appears, then confine diet to one meal per day for a few days. Use exercises numbers 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 15 after symptoms begin to disappear. Two or three times a day apply hot and cold cloths to the affected parts, alternating from one to the other.
Felons:
Same treatment as for Boils, though when they appear near the finger-nail, as is usual, if finger is dipped momentarily in water as hot as can be borne several times, they will sometimes be driven away and be absorbed by the circulation.
Gastric Fever:
Wet sheet pack immediately upon appearance of the symptoms, which should be followed or preceded by the colon flushing treatment. No food of any character until strong desire appears. Encourage the desire for cold water.
General Debility:
Each one of the exercises illustrated here should be taken, until slightly fatigued, once daily. The diet should be confined to one or two meals per day. Great care should be taken to see that every morsel of food is thoroughly masticated. Live in the open air as much as possible, and a walk with deep breathing, each day until fatigued, will be found beneficial.
Gout:
Avoid all meats and all stimulants. Confine diet to one meal per day. If pain is severe nothing should be eaten until it begins to subside. Bathe the affected parts once or twice daily in hot and cold water alternately, changing from one to the other.
Grippe:
If symptoms are severe, wet sheet pack and flushing colon treatment should be immediately taken. Absolutely no food until very strong desire for same appears. Be careful that very pure air be secured at all times. As the more severe symptoms disappear, the system of exercises herewith illustrated can be taken with advantage.
Headache:
Encourage desire for hot water all you can. If convenient, take steam vapor bath. Eat no foods except some light fruit until symptoms disappear. The flushing of the colon treatment in very many cases affords almost immediate relief. Great care should be taken that fresh, pure air is secured at all times, in fact severe headache is very often caused by simply breathing bad air.
Heart Disease:
Take exercises numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13 once daily, continuing same until slightly fatigued. Take a long walk each day, with many deep-breathing exercises. Confine the diet to two light meals or one full meal per day. Thoroughly masticate every morsel of food eaten. This process will strengthen the heart, though immediate satisfactory results must not be expected.
Hemorrhoids:
Cold sitz bath after accelerating circulation, with exercise upon arising each morning. Until symptoms begin to disappear only one meal a day should be eaten, and food should be masticated very thoroughly; but little meat should be eaten. Unless symptoms are severe, long walks with deep-breathing exercises, will be found of advantage. If especially severe, the flushing of the colon treatment can sometimes be recommended.
Indigestion:
Same treatment as for Dyspepsia. Don't eat until very hungry.
Insomnia:
Treatment for this trouble should be constitutional. The entire system of exercises illustrated here should be taken once daily. Long walks in the open air, with deep breathing, can also be commended. The diet should be confined to not more than two meals a day, and great care should be taken not to overeat. At the last meal it would be advisable to eat freely of lettuce, dressed with oil and lemon-juice, with salt to taste.
Jaundice:
Same treatment as for Biliousness.
Kidney Disease:
Same treatment as in Bladder Diseases.
Liver Disease:
Same treatment as for Biliousness.
Lumbago:
Take exercises numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 16 and 17. Apply hot and cold cloths alternately to the affected parts twice per day, until the severe symptoms begin to disappear. Be careful not to overeat, and confine diet to one or two meals per day, masticating very thoroughly.
Malaria:
Treatment for this trouble simply requires a course for building up the general health. The entire system of exercises here illustrated should be taken daily, each movement being continued until slightly fatigued. Long walks in the open air are advisable, unless too weak, though pure air should be procured at all times. A sitz bath, followed by a wet sheet pack, taken daily, will be found of advantage.
Measles:
Immediately upon appearance of first symptoms give a wet sheet pack, followed or preceded by the colon flushing treatment. Wet sheet pack to be continued two or three times a day until symptoms disappear. No food of any kind should be given until a strong desire for same appears, and the desire for water should be encouraged in every way.
Nervous Debility:
Same treatment as for General Debility.
Neuralgia:
Apply hot and cold cloths to the affected parts, alternating from one to the other. Encourage drinking of hot and cold water all you can. Wet sheet pack will be found of advantage if convenient. No food should be eaten until strong desire for same appears.
Palpitation:
Same treatment as for Heart Disease.
Pneumonia:
Wet sheet pack, followed or preceded by colon flushing treatment. Wet sheet pack should be given two or three times per day. No food of any character should be allowed until serious symptoms abate. Encourage the desire to drink large quantities of water. As soon as the more serious symptoms abate, the exercises numbers 1, 7, 9, 15, 16 and 17 can be used to advantage. Great care should be taken to secure perfectly pure air at all times in this trouble, as patients suffering from this disease often die from this one neglect.
Rheumatism:
Wet sheet pack twice a day. One meal a day for the first week. Meats of all kinds should be avoided: food should be very thoroughly masticated. Massage will be found beneficial. One or two-day fast will hasten recovery.
Salt Rheum:
Same treatment as for Eczema.
Sciatica:
Exercises numbers 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14 and 18 should be taken twice daily until slightly fatigued. Exercise No. 2 should be given especial attention. Confine diet to two meals per day, and eat very slowly. At night, upon retiring, apply a wet cloth to the affected parts.
Scrofula:
Same treatment as for Blood Diseases. Skin Diseases:
Same treatment as for Blood Diseases.
Sore Throat:
Same treatment as for Bronchitis.
Typhoid Fever:
Same treatment as Gastric Fever.
Whooping Cough:
Same treatment as for Croup.
THE END.
