Diseases of the nose and throat / by F. de Havilland Hall.

  • Hall, F. de Havilland (Francis de Havilland), 1847-1929.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of the nose and throat / by F. de Havilland Hall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

    28/568
    is well known, people who perspire easily are more liable to cold than others. The most potent means of bracing the skin so as to enable it to accommodate itself to changes of temperature is undoubtedly the cold bath. By this I do not mean that young and old, the delicate and the strong, should subject themselves to exactly the same treatment all the year round, but that the morning tub should play an important part in treatment. For children, the aged, and the delicate, it will be necessary to regulate the temperature of the water and the mode of applying it in accordance with their powers of resistance. For such persons, the tempera- ture of the water should never be below 6o° Fahr.; and it may suffice to sponge the neck and chest with water at this temperature, the patient meanwhile being wrapped in a towel, or standing in a bath of hot water. For the more robust, water at the temperature of the external air may be used, and they may immerse the whole body in it; but even fairly robust people may advantageously add a little warm water to the bath when the thermometer is below 400 Fahr. In whatever way the cold water is applied, the great secret of success is vigorous friction of the skin after- wards, so that reaction may be developed. If the person feels cold and languid after his bath, it has done him harm rather than good. To those who can afford the time, the Turkish bath is an excellent plan of accustoming the skin to resist sudden changes of temperature. Clothing should be light, and that worn next the skin should be woollen or silk. Waterproofed and other impervious articles are not to be recommended to those subject to catarrh. Wraps round the neck are to be deprecated. On the other hand, I have seen much benefit result to men from giving up shaving, and allowing the beard and whiskers to grow. In connection with clothing must be considered the bed and its covering. P'ortunately, spring mattresses have nearly