Massage séche / by Tom Cecil.

  • Cecil, Tom.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Massage séche / by Tom Cecil. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    who submit to its influence, the wrinkles of time cannot be removed from its own ancient visage. With the Egyptians, Greeks, and Eomans, a form of Massage Avas the common accompaniment of ail medical men’s treatment, and was used as a luxury, as a means of hastening tedious convalescence, and to render the limbs supple and enduring. Massering and anointing wcre some- times done by medical practitionei’s themselves, though spécial sex were, in ail countries that I hâve seen so far, appointed by the Priests. Herodicus, one of the hiasters of Hippocrates, in the fifth century B.C., first proposed Massage as a cure for disease. He Avas the superior officer of the Massage establishment at Athens, and by compelling bis patients to undergo Avarions exercises, and to hâve their bodies massed, is said to hâve lengtheiied their lives, inas- much as Plato reproached him for protracting that existence, in Avhich, as years advanced, they coixld hâve less and less enjoyment. He himself, by the practice of his OAvn remedies, attained the âge of a hundred. The earliest definite information regarding Massage cornes from Hippo- crates, Avho says :“The physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly also in Massering ; for things that haA'^e the same name hâve not ahvays the same efFects, for Massering can bind a joint that is too loose, and loosen a joint that is too rigid.” He also used the Avord anairipsis, the Greek equiAmlent for the process of Massering up and clown, although not understanding the reason of it, as it Avas not till 500 years after that Galen pointed ont that the arteries Avere not filled AAuth air, as their names do seem to imply. Asclepiades AA^as probably not far Avrong Avhen he founded his school at Rome on the belief that diet, Masser- ing exercises, and friction, should keep the body Avithout disease ; and Cicero aflirmed that he OAved as much of his health to his masseur or anointer as he did to his physician. Students of the Holy Bible avüI readily comprehend my meaning of the Avord anointing. The anointing of Aaron by Moses, Lev., chap. 8, verse 10 ; also the anointing of Saul by Samuel, Ist Book of Samuel, chap. 10, verse 1 ; also the anointing of DaAÛd by Samuel, Ist Book of Samuel, chap. 16, verse 13; also the anointi7ig of